Erin's Story
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Erin Finnigan lived a normal life with her sister, until tragedy struck. Now, they are alone until some friends come to help them.Last chapter is up! Please R&R!
1. Default Chapter

Erin's Story

A/N: This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so please be nice when you review. I thought of this idea from my own head so I decided to write it down.

Summary: Erin Finnigan lived a normal life with her sister until tragedy struck. Now, the two are alone until some friends come along to help out.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. They are owned by Mirage Studios Inc. I would love to own Leo, but I don't. He's my favorite Turtle ever. He rules. On with the story.

Chapter 1

Best Friends

It was a sunny day in New York City. The sky was blue, and everywhere you looked people were going somewhere. Four girls were walking home from dance practice, talking about the announcement that their teacher had made at school that day.

"So, what should we do for the variety show?" Erin Finnigan asked her three best friends.

"Why don't we do a scene from a famous play?" Kelly Lynch suggested.

"No way," Lindsay O'Malley said. "I don't like doing that stuff. We should do something unique."

"Why don't we do Irish dancing?" Sara Tanner suggested. "No one's seen us do that. Plus, everyone else will be reciting lines from a play."

"Not everybody," Erin contradicted. "Some people will be doing dance routines to famous singers, or being comedians. We need to offset those people, especially Jeanie Kramer and her friends."

"So, what do you suggest we do?" asked Kelly.

"I think we should do what Sara suggests," answered Erin. "No one at school has seen us do that, and it will give everyone a chance to see what we can do. They'll see that we are talented instead of a bunch of nobodies."

"And you want to beat Jeanie also," said Kelly, rolling her eyes. "I swear, I don't know why you let her get to you."

"Because she insulted our heritage," said Erin. Jeanie hated the Irish and said that they were evil. She often tried to get Erin and her friends in trouble by spreading lies about them.

"But, we just have Irish last names," pointed out Lindsay. "We aren't from Ireland."

"Our ancestors came from there," said Sara matter-of-factly.

"Exactly," added Erin. "I want to show her that the Irish are good people and that our culture is very much appreciated here."

"So, what dance do you want to do?" Kelly asked.

"You're all for this?" Lindsay asked.

"Yes, I am," Kelly said. "Are you?"

"Of course I am," Lindsay said cheerfully.

"Good," Kelly said. Then she turned to Erin.

"We'll figure out what dance to do when we get to my house," Erin replied. "Right now, we have to pick up Maureen from her school." Maureen was Erin's little sister.

"Why couldn't your mom pick her up?" Lindsay asked.

"She had a meeting with her book club today," Erin explained. "She asked me if I would pick her up, and I said I would."

"I thought you hated Maureen," Kelly said.

"I don't _hate _her," Erin contradicted, "I just dislike her. She can be such a pain in the butt sometimes."

"Well, I envy you," Lindsay said. "I wish I had a sister or a brother."

"You're joking!" exclaimed Kelly. "I wish I didn't have a big brother. He's always lecturing me about how to set a good example for the family."

"Well, my older sister's always getting in trouble," said Sara. "Yesterday she got three detentions."

"What for?" asked Erin.

"Passing a note in class, talking back to a teacher, and failing to do her homework," answered Sara. "My mom suspects that she's hanging out with a gang."

"That's not cool," said Lindsay. "I hope things get better for you, Sara."

"Me too," said Sara with a sigh.

"Oh, Erin, look!" said Kelly, pointing up the street. "David Ellis is coming this way!"

"Really?" gasped Erin. "How's my hair? Is it all messed up?"

"You might have a few bangs out of place," said Lindsay with a grin.

"Are you serious?" asked Erin frantically. "Please tell me you're just kidding!"

"I am," laughed Lindsay. "You look great, Erin."

David walked by the girls without saying a word. He smiled and waved at them before heading down the street with his little brother.

"Erin, he waved to you!" squealed Kelly.

"He waved at all of us, not just me," pointed out Erin. "He'll never notice me."

"Who won't?" asked a voice near her. Erin's little sister, Maureen, was standing beside her.

"David," replied Erin dreamily.

"Who's David?" asked Maureen. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"No," answered Erin. "He's just a friend of mine."

"But you just said that he'll never notice you," pointed out Maureen. "That means you have a boyfriend."

"No, I don't!" protested Erin. "I just have a crush on him."

"Does he know you like him?" Maureen asked.

"No, he doesn't," Erin replied. "And don't you dare say anything to him, Maureen!"

"I won't," Maureen promised. "I don't like boys anyway. I think they're icky."

"You'll change your mind about that when you reach my age," Erin said with a smile.

The girls walked down the street towards Erin's apartment complex. When they reached it, they hurried inside and up to the elevator. They rode it to the seventh floor and stopped at the second apartment on the right.

"Mom, we're home!" Erin called out. "My friends are here, too!"

Mrs. Finnigan was in the kitchen baking cookies. "Hello, girls," she said. "How was your day at school?"

"It was good, Mom," Erin replied. "Mrs. Addison talked about the school's variety show. We're going to decide what dance we're going to do for it."

"That's wonderful," said Mrs. Finnigan. "And how was your day, Maureen?"

"It was good," answered Maureen. "I got an A on the spelling test."

"That's good, sweetie," said Mrs. Finnigan, hugging her daughter. "I'm baking cookies for my meeting tomorrow."

"You have another meeting with the book club?" asked Erin.

"No, I'm just meeting with a few of my friends tomorrow," said Mrs. Finnigan. "I'll need all the help I can get."

"Can I help with the cookies, Mom?" asked Maureen.

"Sure," said Mrs. Finnigan. "I could use a little help."

Erin and her friends went to Erin and Maureen's room. They had shared a room since they were little. Erin often wished that she had a room of her own, but the apartment just wasn't big enough for that.

"So, what dance are we doing?" asked Lindsay, sitting on the floor. Sara sat beside her while Kelly sat on Erin's bed.

Erin sat in her butterfly chair. "We'll find out in a minute," she said, looking at her CD case.

Kelly was looking at one of Erin's yearbooks from sixth grade. "Hey, guys, look at this!" she exclaimed. "We did Irish dancing at the sixth grade talent show!" The others came over for a look.

"I completely forgot about that," Erin said. "Now we have to think of something else to do."

"We can still do the play," Lindsay said.

"I mean that we'll have to think of another dance to do," Erin explained.

"Let's dance to Play," Kelly suggested. "They have good music that we can dance to."

"Good idea," Erin said. "I have their new CD right here." She held it up. "I also have their other two CDs. Let's listen to this one to see what we like. Then, we can listen to the other two for ideas."

"Sounds good to me," Lindsay said. Sara and Kelly nodded in agreement.

Erin put the CD in her stereo and they listened to it. There seemed to be quite a few different songs that the girls liked.

"I say we do 'Girls Can Too' for our group number," Kelly said "That's got a good beat to dance to."

"Great idea," Sara said. "Are we doing any other routines in pairs?"

"I was thinking that Kelly and I could dance to 'Us Against The World'" Erin said. "I love that song."

"Sounds good to me," Kelly said.

"Sara and I could dance to 'Disco Hippie'" Lindsay said. "That song's fun."

"That's cool," Sara said. "We could even dress up like people did in the 70's for that song."

"Good," Erin said. "I say that we practice on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in Central Park. It's quiet there and we'll have a lot of dance space to work with."

"That works," Kelly said. "What do you guys think?" she asked Sara and Lindsay.

"I think it's a great idea," Sara replied. "We won't have to worry about bumping into furniture."

"Yeah, I think it's cool," Lindsay added.

"Great," Erin said. "We'll start tomorrow." The others thought that was fine. They said good-bye to Erin and left to go home.

That night, Erin lay in bed and thought about tomorrow's practice. She had a feeling that they were going to get a lot done that day. What Erin didn't know was that tomorrow would change her life forever.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. Please be nice when you review. In case you didn't know, Play is a pop group that I love. Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2:Sibling Rivalry

Chapter 2

Sibling Rivalry

A/N: Well, thanks for the reviews. I've only gotten one so far, but that's ok. This chapter will be much better since it has the Turtles in it. I hope you like it. Please read and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. I wish I did, but that won't happen. I'm not making any money off of this so please don't sue me. Turtles belong to Mirage Studios, Inc.

**Dream sequence**

_It was a quiet early morning in New York. There were no people in the streets at this hour. If there had been, they would have been startled to see a giant green turtle being pursued by an army of men dressed in black on the rooftops. _

_Leonardo couldn't believe it. What had started out as a training run had turned into running from the Foot Ninjas. Where had they come from? Why were they there when the Shredder was gone?_

_Leonardo unsheathed his swords and got ready to fight. The Foot Ninjas attacked, but Leo managed to fight them off. Then, a second wave came, but they were defeated too. Suddenly, the Foot Tech Ninjas came, and they were hard to fight because they kept disappearing when they pushed a button. However, Leo refused to give up and defeated them. _

_Leonardo thought he had won, but he was mistaken. More Foot Ninjas came, followed by the burly man called Hun. Leo managed to fight them off, but it wasn't easy. Then, he looked behind him and saw the Foot Elite. They disappeared and landed beside Hun and the Foot Ninjas. Suddenly, Leo caught a glimpse of a figure on another building. It was the Shredder! Leo couldn't believe his eyes. Then, the Elite vanished and appeared right behind Leo. He tried to fight them, but he was too weak. He was pushed off of the building by one of the Elites and realized his swords were gone. _

**Leo's room**

Leonardo awoke with a start. He couldn't believe the nightmare he'd just had. He looked around his room, but no one was there. Maybe I'll go down and get some tea he thought. That should make me feel better.

He crept quietly downstairs. After all, he didn't want to wake his brothers or Master Splinter. He knew they wouldn't be too happy if they woke up this early.

"Having a hard time sleeping, my son?" a soft voice asked. Master Splinter was sitting in the shadows and had heard his son come downstairs.

"Yes, Sensei, I am," Leonardo replied. "I had a really bad dream a few minutes ago."

"What was it about, Leonardo?" Splinter asked.

"I relived the attack," Leo replied.

"You mean when the Foot Ninjas ambushed you?" Splinter asked.

"Yes," Leo answered. "It was so vivid, I felt as if I was there again." He shivered a little as he said this.

"It is peculiar to see you have a nightmare," Splinter said. "Usually, your brother, Michelangelo, has them."

"I know," Leo said. "I haven't had a nightmare since I was younger. I used to dream about falling off of a building, remember?"

"I do remember that," Splinter said. "That was when you had your fear of heights."

"Do you think that this dream signifies that I have a fear?" asked Leo.

"Yes, it does," said Splinter. "But unlike your fear of heights, this fear is one that cannot be conquered."

"I thought all fears could be conquered," said Leonardo. "I've read that in books."

"Books can be misleading," said Splinter. "This fear is a personal fear."

"What does that mean?" asked Leo.

"It means that you will have this fear for a long time," replied Splinter. "Remember when I told you about my Master Yoshi getting killed by the Shredder?"

"Of course," said Leo. "How could I forget that? It was that story that helped me realize how evil the Shredder was and still is."

"Well, since then, I have had a fear of my own," said Splinter. "I have had a fear that you or one of your brothers would get killed by the Shredder. When you were attacked that fateful night, I thought my fear had come true."

Leonardo was shocked. He couldn't believe that his sensei had such a fear haunting him. "Do you mean that I have a fear of getting attacked?" he asked his sensei.

"Yes," replied Splinter. "You also have a fear of failing your family. I remember when you told me that you felt you had let us down."

"Yes, I did," said Leo. "I still do feel that way. I feel that it was my own fault that I got attacked because I went out there alone. I feel that it's my fault that April's building got blown up." He started to tremble and embraced himself as if he was cold.

Splinter put a hand on his son's shoulder. "It was not your fault that this happened, Leonardo," he said gently. "You did not know what would happen to you that day. Neither of us expected that the Shredder would return."

"Do you think that the dream is an omen?" asked Leo. "That it's telling me he's back?"

"I do not know," answered Splinter. "I do feel that it was a peculiar dream, but I can't say that it is an omen. However, if you have the dream again, or another like it, tell me immediately."

"I promise, Sensei," said Leo.

"Good," said Splinter. "Now, I will get us cups of tea, and then I want you to go to bed. You and your brothers have a big day tomorrow."

After he had gotten his tea, Leo sat next to Splinter on a cushion. The two talked about other things that were going on in the world around them. Leonardo expressed his dislike for the suicide bombings that were happening in Iraq. Splinter agreed and said that the people over there needed help.

After he drank his tea, Leo went back upstairs to bed. He wanted to be awake and alert for tomorrow's big training session. But before he drifted off to sleep, He thought about the dream. What did it mean? Was it an omen of the Shredder's return? Why was he even having it? He just hoped that he wouldn't have it again that night.

**Erin's house**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The alarm clock rang out shrilly, announcing that it was morning. Erin groaned and turned over to switch it off. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stretched, yawning loudly.

She sat up and recalled the dream she'd just had. It had been a good dream with David Ellis in it. She felt that she had to record this in her diary. Erin turned to her nightstand where she had left her diary the night before, but she discovered it wasn't there. She looked at Maureen's bed and saw that it was empty. That meant that Maureen had stolen Erin's diary, which was something Erin had forbidden her to do.

Furious, Erin stormed out of their room and down the stairs. In the kitchen she found her mother putting bread in the toaster. Maureen was sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal in front of her. In one hand, she held a spoon to dip her cereal in. In the other hand, she held Erin's diary.

Erin marched over to Maureen and snatched the diary out of her hand. "Bored with your other books?" she asked sarcastically. "Or, did you deliberately do this to make me mad?"

"Neither," said Maureen. "I was just curious. You were so secretive about David that I had to know if you liked him or not. Now, I have the proof that you do." She snatched the diary back and waved it around.

"Give it back to me, you little brat!" snapped Erin. Maureen kept waving the diary around, making it so Erin couldn't get it.

"Maureen, give your sister her diary back," ordered Mrs. Finnigan in a stern voice.

"Okay," said Maureen, looking subdued. She gave Erin the diary back.

"Now, apologize to your sister," said Mrs. Finnigan firmly.

"I'm sorry, Erin," said Maureen. "I won't do it again."

"Apology not accepted," said Erin angrily. "And you'd better not do it again!" She stormed out of the room to hide the diary where Maureen couldn't find it.

While Erin was gone, Mrs. Finnigan turned to Maureen. "Why did you do that to Erin?" she asked her youngest daughter. "You know how Erin is about her diary. It's very valuable and private to her. How would you like it if she stole something of yours that was valuable and private to you?"

"I'd be very mad," Maureen replied.

"Well, don't do it again," Mrs. Finnigan warned. "I don't want you girls fighting like this."

Then Erin returned, shooting her sister a mean look. "Thank God I don't have to take you to Central Park with me," she said.

"Actually, you do," Mrs. Finnigan said. "Laura's mom called, and they have to leave for Pennsylvania. Laura's grandma is not doing well, so they went to be with her."

"Great," Erin muttered. "Just what I need, my little sister tagging along while I practice for the most important variety show ever."

"Now, Erin, don't make such a fuss," Mrs. Finnigan said. "Your sister will be good, won't you, Maureen?"

"Yes, I will," Maureen answered.

"That's my good girl," Mrs. Finnigan said. "Now, you both have a good day at school."

"You just made it worse! "Erin snapped. "You'll regret the day you made my life miserable! I hate you!"

**The Lair**

Morning dawned bright and early in the sewers. Rats scurried around, trying to find as much food as they could. To most people, the sewers were disgusting, and citizens avoided them at all costs. But to the Turtles and Splinter, this was the only home they had ever known.

Michelangelo was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the remote. He stopped it on MTV, where a Britney Spears music video was being shown.

"Mikey, turn that crap off!" ordered his brother, Raphael.

"But, Raph, I like her!" protested Mikey. "She's hot!"

"And you don't stand a chance with her," said Raph. He snatched the remote from Mikey's hand and turned the channel. It landed on Animal Planet, where the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin was holding a snake.

"This is the most venomous snake in the world," said Steve in his Australian accent. "If I make one wrong move, he might bite me."

"So why are you holdin' it, ya big dork?" asked Raph sarcastically.

Suddenly, the snake lunged at Steve, but he dodged it just in time. "By Crikey, he nearly got me!" he shouted. "I'm just gonna leave him where I found him."

"What an idiot!" said Raph, rolling his eyes. He turned it to Cartoon Network. _The Powerpuff Girls _were on.

"All right!" exclaimed Mikey. "My favorite show is on!"

"I thought _American Idol _was your favorite show," said Raph.

"It is," said Mikey. "I have a lot of different favorite shows."

"You are such a nut," said Raph.

"Will you guys keep it down?" asked Donatello. "I'm trying to do some research."

"Sorry, Donnie," said Mikey. He turned the volume down on the T.V.

"You're doin' research this early, Donnie?" asked Raph.

"Yes," replied Donnie. "I want to get this research done for my next invention."

"What are you inventing this time, Don?" asked Mikey.

"I can't tell you that, Mikey," answered Don. "I have to do my research first."

"Whatever," said Raph. Then he looked around. "Hey, where's our fearless leader?" he asked. "He's usually up by now."

"Maybe he overslept," 'suggested Mikey.

"Or maybe he's meditating," Don added. "You know how Leo likes to get focused before a training session."

"Well, I'm goin' to wake him up," Raph said. "I'm starving."

"You will do no such thing!" a soft voice said firmly. Splinter had come out of his room and overheard his sons talking. "You will let your brother rest," he said.

Then, Leonardo came downstairs. "Hi, everyone," he said. "What's up?"

"It's about time you got up," Raph said. "We've been waitin' on you."

"Sorry, guys," Leo said. "I didn't mean to oversleep."

"Did you have a bad night?" Mikey asked.

"Yes, I did," Leo said. "I had a bad dream last night."

"Was it about a monster?" Mikey asked.

"No, Mikey, it wasn't about a monster," Leo replied.

"Well, it must have been pretty bad to cause you to oversleep," Don said.

"What was it about?" Raph asked him.

"I don't want to talk about it," Leo answered. "Let's go get some breakfast."

After breakfast, Splinter and the Turtles went to the dojo for practice. It began with an hour of meditation to focus the mind. Then, Splinter paired the Turtles up for sparring. Donatello and Michelangelo paired off while Raphael was paired with Leonardo.

During practice, Splinter noticed that Leonardo wasn't doing as well as he usually did. This was probably because of the events of the night before, but it still bothered Splinter to see his son in such distress. Leo tried to block Raph's moves, but it wasn't working. Raph always managed to beat him each time.

"Are we done now, Sensei?" Mikey asked when Splinter called the practice to a halt.

"Not yet, my sons," Splinter replied. "Now, you must try to disarm me. If one of you is successful, you will all be excused from afternoon practice. But, if all of you are unsuccessful, you will have afternoon practice and will have to clean up after dinner for a week. Now, who will go first?"

Michelangelo grinned and swirled his nunchucks playfully. Then, he ran at his sensei and tried to disarm him with his nunchucks. But Splinter anticipated it and caught Mikey's nunchucks in his walking stick. He flipped Mikey over, causing the Turtle to land on his back.

Donatello was next. He ran at Splinter, and using his bo staff as a vault, tried to knock Splinter's stick out of his hand. But Splinter kicked Don's bo out from under him and flipped him over neatly.

Raphael growled and twirled his sais in a menacing manner. He ran at Splinter and tried a roundhouse kick, but Splinter dodged it, causing Raph to land next to his brothers.

Splinter looked around for Leonardo, but couldn't find him. Then, Leo dropped from the ceiling, his katanas ready. Splinter swung his stick and disarmed his son. Leonardo was surprised which caused him to lose his focus. Splinter caught Leo's foot and flipped him over. He landed right next to his brothers.

Splinter shook his head. "I guess you four will be cleaning the dishes," he said with a small smile.

That night after dinner, the Turtles were in the kitchen cleaning up. Don was washing the dishes, Leo and Raph were drying, and Mikey was putting them away.

"I can't believe we have to do this," grumbled Raph. "It just goes to show you that our fearless leader isn't so perfect after all. This is the second time he's proved that."

"What's that supposed to mean, Raph?" demanded Leo.

"The first time was when the Shredder kicked your butt," said Raph with a smile.

Leo turned pale. He couldn't believe Raph had mentioned that. No one had talked about it since it happened. Leo turned and ran out of the Lair. Mikey tried to go after him, but Splinter stopped him.

"Let him go," said the rat. "He needs some time alone."

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review it. I bet you can't guess which episode of the new series the dream Leo had is referring to. I just hope you like this chapter. Please read and review. I need more than one review here!


	3. Chapter 3: Lost and Found

Chapter 3

Lost and Found

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter to my story. First, I want to thank all those who reviewed and send them some shout-outs.

**Shellsboy24: **Thanks for reviewing sweetie. I reviewed your story too. Check it out and keep reviewing mine.

**Jej Jej Flam: **I think we need to get a few things straight right now. 1) The boy version of my character's name is spelled Aaron. Plus, I state in the story that she's a girl when I write. You should be able to see that. 2) I would never write a story about a lesbian. I don't approve of that lifestyle. 3) I will not change the name of my character. That's the name I chose and I'm sticking to it.

**Reluctant Dragon: **You like Irish music too? Cool. Do u like Leahy? They are an Irish band that I like a lot. I also think you misinterpreted what I said in my story. I stated that the girls had already done Irish dancing at a previous talent show, so they decided to dance to Play instead of Irish dancing. Thanks for the review though. I know the first chapter was boring, but it picked up in the second chapter.

**Ana the Romantic: **Thanks for the boost of confidence. I really appreciate it. Please read this chapter and review it, too. I'll definitely keep reading your story. It rocks!

**Readerrr Grrrl: **Thanks for the compliment. Do you have any fanfics out at all? If so, I'd love to read them. Are you a Turtles fan too? If so, that's cool. Keep reading and reviewing.

Well, now that I've got that done, I think it's time to get back to the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Turtles not mine. I'm just borrowing them. I'd love to own Leo, but that's wishful thinking.

Erin's school day had gone very well, despite the scene with Maureen and her mother that morning. She had passed a spelling test and a math test. She had also done well in gym class too. But the best thing about the day was that David Ellis had actually said hello to her that morning when she arrived at school. Even though Erin was thrilled by this, she still couldn't get over how she had snapped at her mother.

"Let's sit over there," suggested Sara. "It looks like a good place."

"Okay," said Erin. She and her friends set their trays on the table.

"I can't believe that David Ellis spoke to you, Erin," said Kelly as they ate their lunch.

"I know," added Lindsay. "I think he's finally starting to notice you, Erin."

"Maybe," said Erin. She didn't want to admit that her friends were right.

"Is something wrong, Erin?" asked Kelly.

"I just keep thinking about how I snapped at my mother this morning," replied Erin. Then she told her friends everything that had happened that morning with Maureen and her mother.

"Did she make Maureen apologize for taking your diary?" asked Sara.

"Yes, but I didn't accept Maureen's apology," said Erin. "I also told my mom that I hated her."

"Maybe you can make it up to her today after school," said Lindsay. "You can also talk to Maureen when we practice today."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Erin. She was still upset about how she had treated her mother. She just hoped her mother would forgive her.

"Why is Maureen coming with us, anyway?" asked Kelly.

"Because Laura has to leave for Pennsylvania to see her grandmother," answered Erin. "Her grandma is sick."

"Do they know what's wrong with her?" asked Lindsay.

"No, they don't," answered Erin. "All Mom said was that they had to leave right away."

"I hope everything works out," said Sara.

"Me too," added Lindsay. "Laura's a nice girl."

"So, how long do you want us to practice tonight?" asked Kelly.

"Why are you asking me?" countered Erin.

"Because you're our official leader," said Kelly with a smile.

"What a surprise!" said a snooty voice behind them. "I didn't think the Irish were capable of being good leaders." Jeanie Kramer was standing there, along with her friends, Rachel Sanders, Leah Monroe, and Amber Brewster. These four girls were Erin's worst enemies.

"Well, for your information, we are capable of being good leaders," said Erin defensively.

"Whatever," said Jeanie with a smirk. "Just know that my friends and I are going to be the best act ever in the variety show. You and your lame friends don't stand a chance."

"We'll see about that," said Erin with fire in her eyes.

"Let's go, girls," said Jeanie, not looking at Erin. "We have to talk more about our preparations." She and her friends turned and walked away.

"I don't know who makes me madder," said Erin, "Maureen or Jeanie."

"I think Jeanie makes you madder," said Sara. "She does things to be mean and spiteful, while Maureen is just a curious seven-year-old girl."

"Forget about her," Kelly said, referring to Jeanie. "Let's just pick up Maureen after school and practice in the Park. With you as our leader, there's no way we can fail."

"You're right, Kelly," Erin said. "And thank you for the compliment."

"You're welcome," Kelly said.

"But I still can't wait to show Jeanie what we're made of," Erin said with a determined look on her face.

**Foot Headquarters**

Shredder looked at his army of Foot Ninjas with pride. He felt that his army of warriors were the best ever. They would help him get rid of his most hated enemies, and when they did, he would be the one to rule the whole city.

Hun came running up to Shredder. "Master, one of the Foot Ninjas is in need of your services," he said.

"What is it?" asked the Shredder impatiently.

"I have a plan," replied the Foot Ninja. "Remember how I tried to recruit a member for you?"

"Yes, I do," answered the Shredder. "Is this person willing to join?"

"He is willing if we will do him a favor," said the Foot Ninja. "At first, he was going to take matters into his own hands, but he couldn't think of what to do."

"I don't understand," said Shredder.

"His girlfriend was pleading with him not to join," said the Foot Ninja. "He got very angry at her for that. She left him because of his desire to join us. He wants revenge on her."

"He wants me to dispose of her?" asked Shredder.

"And her children," said the Foot Ninja. "He feels that they are the reason she didn't want him to join and the reason she left him."

"What do you think of the plan he's offered, Master?" asked Hun.

"I think it's brilliant," Shredder said. He turned to the Foot Ninja. "Don't worry," he said to him. "We'll help your friend, That girl and her children will pay for what they tried to do." His evil laughter rang in the building.

**Central Park**

It was a sunny day in Central Park, but night was falling fast. Erin, her friends, and Maureen were in a large spot with a blanket spread out. Maureen sat on the blanket and watched her sister and her friends dance their routines.

Maureen clapped her hands when the girls finished. "That was great, guys!" she said with awe. "You rock! You'll do well for sure."

"Thanks, Maureen," Kelly said. "Your compliment gave us a boost of confidence, didn't it, guys?"

"Yeah," Lindsay said. "You should be a dance critic."

"I agree," Sara added. "You'd be perfect for that job."

"No thanks," Maureen said. "I'd rather be a writer, an artist, or a dancer just like Erin."

"Why would you want to be like me, Maureen?" Erin asked.

"Because you're a great dancer," Maureen replied. "I really admire you."

"Why, thank you, Maureen," Erin said. "I'm flattered." It looked as though things had worked out between them.

"So, you forgive me?" Maureen asked.

"Yeah," Erin said. "I know you were just curious. I used to do stuff like that when I was your age."

"Really?" Maureen asked.

"Yeah," Erin replied. "I once got into Mom's makeup and put it all over my face. Boy, did I get in trouble for that one!"

"What did Mom do to you?" Maureen asked.

"She spanked me and grounded me for a week," Erin answered.

"Wow!" Maureen exclaimed. "I can't believe that you were like me."

"Well, I was," Erin said. "I wasn't the perfect girl you see now."

"I don't think you're perfect, Erin," Kelly teased. "You want to get Jeanie for being mean to us."

"Yeah, but that's different," said Erin. "No one makes fun of the Irish and gets away with it."

"Do you and Maureen want to go to the mall with me?" asked Lindsay.

"No thanks," replied Erin. "Mom's gonna take us out to eat tonight."

"I'll go with you, Lindsay," said Kelly. "I don't have anything to do."

"Me neither," added Sara. "I want to show you guys the boots I would buy if I had the money."

"Cool," said Lindsay. "See you tomorrow, Erin."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," said Kelly and Sara.

"Okay, guys," said Erin. "Have fun at the mall."

"We will," aid Lindsay. Then she, Sara, and Kelly went to the bus stop to wait for a bus to take them to the mall.

Erin and Maureen walked down the street to their apartment complex. Maureen was humming a tune and thinking about when she would spend time with Laura again. Erin was thinking about Jeanie, but those thoughts were smothered by the dream she'd had last night. She just wished that David would talk to her.

"Hey, Erin, what's that?" asked her sister, pointing in the distance.

Erin saw flames and smoke coming from a building. "That's our apartment!" she cried. "Hurry!" The two girls ran as fast as they could to the building. When they got there, they saw that firemen were trying to put out the blaze, but with no success.

Erin ran up to a fireman. "Excuse me, sir, but my sister and I are looking for our mother," she said. "Is she okay?"

"What's your mother's name?" asked the fireman.

"Noleen Finnigan," replied Erin.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but your mother is dead," aid the fireman.

"Dead?" Erin repeated. "How can she be dead?"

"There were no survivors in the explosion," the fireman said. "Someone planted a bomb in this building. Are there any relatives or friends of the family who can take you in?"

Erin thought for a minute. None of her relatives would want anything to do with them. They were mad that Mrs. Finnigan had gone to America in the first place. "No," she said. "There are no relatives."

"What about friends of the family?" the fireman asked.

"Well, April's our mom's closest friend," Erin replied. "She would take us in."

"April who?" the fireman asked.

"April O'Neil," Erin answered. "She's met us and likes us. I know she can help us out. She promised our mom she would look after us if something happened."

"Good idea," the fireman said. "You know where she lives?"

"Yes we do," Erin said. "Thank you." Then she took Maureen's hand and led her down the street. She couldn't believe that their mother was dead. She would never be able to apologize for what had happened earlier.

Maureen had said nothing the whole time Erin and the fireman were talking, but she knew what had happened. "Why did Mom have to die?" she asked Erin. "She wasn't old."

"I don't know, Maureen," said Erin. "I guess God just wanted to take her. But I do know that whoever did this is gonna pay."

"Where are we going to live, Erin?" asked Maureen.

"We're going to live with April," replied Erin. "She'll be able to care for us."

"Do you remember where she lives?" asked Maureen.

"I think so," said Erin. She saw an alley near them. "Let's cut through here," she suggested. "It could be a shortcut."

"B—but it's so dark in there," said Maureen with a shiver.

"It's okay," said Erin in a reassuring voice. "I'm right here with you. Now, let's go."

The girls ran through the alley, hoping it would lead them to April's. Then, some men in black suits with a red symbol on them came at the girls. The girls were stunned at first. They'd never seen these men before.

"Who are these guys, Erin?" asked Maureen, trembling in fear.

"I don't know," said Erin, "but something tells me they aren't friendly."

The men drew their swords and advanced toward the girls. Erin and Maureen were scared, but they had to do something. Erin seized a piece of pipe and threw it at the men. It hit one in the knee, and he went down.

"Run!" yelled Erin. She pulled he sister along, and they ran out of the alley. They went down a street, hoping someone would help them. The men were now pursuing the girls, angry at what they had done. The girls turned down another alley, but it was blocked. They were trapped

**The rooftops**

Leonardo sat on a building in deep meditation. He was still hurt by Raphael's harsh words. Why had he said that? Was it just out of anger? Or was it because Raph was jealous? Whatever it was, Leo felt sure that Raph was sorry now.

Leo turned to go home, when, suddenly, he saw an explosion. He was very worried about the people inside, but he knew he couldn't do anything. Then, he spotted some Foot Ninjas on a building across from him. He just hoped that they wouldn't attack him.

"That was close," said Leo as the Foot Ninjas disappeared around a corner. "I'd better get home before anything weird happens." But, before he could go, he heard two high-pitched screams. "Uh-oh," he said to himself. "Someone's in trouble. I'd better go see what's up."

He followed the screams until he came to an alley. Down below, he saw two girls being attacked by Foot Ninjas. Leonardo knew what he had to do. He unsheathed his katanas and jumped down among them. The Foot Ninjas attacked, but Leo fought bravely. More and more kept coming, just as they did last year. Still, Leo kept on attacking, anxious to save the girls from these foes.

Erin and Maureen were amazed at the Turtle's fighting skills. They had never seen anyone fight like he did. Then, the tables turned, and the Foot Ninjas ambushed him. The girls knew they had to help. Erin and Maureen both grabbed weapons and lunged at the Foot Ninjas. Erin hit one in the chest with a pipe, while Maureen hit one in the knee and over the head with a piece of wood.

The Foot Ninjas abandoned Leo and advanced on the girls. But before they could attack, another turtle leaped down in front of them. Raphael twirled his sais and hit each member head on. Then he was joined by Leo with his katanas. Together, the two brothers fought endlessly against the Foot. The ninjas realized that they were no match for the two Turtles, and they fled.

"Raph, what are you doing here?" Leo asked his brother.

"I had a feeling you would need help," Raph replied. "So, here I am."

Erin gazed at her two rescuers in amazement. "Who are you guys?" she asked. "And who were those men who attacked us?"

"I'm Leonardo and this is my brother Raphael," the Turtle with the swords said. "Those men were Foot Ninjas, one of our worst enemies. Who are you?"

"I'm Erin Finnigan and this is my sister Maureen," Erin answered. "We were on our way to April's apartment when we got attacked by the Foot Ninjas."

"You mean April O'Neil?" Leonardo asked.

"Yes," Erin said. "Do you guys know her?"

"She's one of our friends," Raphael said. "How do you know her?"

"She's one of our mom's closest friends," Erin replied. "She promised to look after us if anything happened to our mother."

"What happened to her?" Raphael asked.

"She died in our apartment building when it exploded," Erin said, tears filling her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she started to cry.

Leonardo ran to her side and embraced her. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "We'll help you out. I know it hurts." He held her for a few minutes as she continued to cry.

"Where will we go now?" Maureen asked.

"You'll come home with us," said Leo. "April's visiting her sister in New Jersey right now. She won't be back for a few more days."

"Hold on a second, Leo," said Raph. "I don't think it's a good idea to take them home with us."

"Why not?" asked Leo. "They have no place else to go."

"Because they might be workin' for the Foot," answered Raph.

"Why would we do that?" asked Maureen.

"You tell me," countered Raph with an angry look in his eyes.

"For your information, we don't work for the Foot," said Erin.

"Are you sure you aren't spies?" asked Raph with a scowl.

"Quite sure," said Maureen with a smile.

"I still don't trust you," said Raph, turning his back on them.

"Raph, that's rude1" chastised Leo. "Apologize to them now!"

"No," said Raph stubbornly. "I mean it, Leo! I don't trust them. If we take them home, they'll be able to see where our lair is. Then they'll rush off to alert the Foot, who will come and finish us off."

"What else can we do, Raph?" asked Leo. "They have nowhere else to call home. They need shelter and food. Why can't you show them some compassion? They just lost their home and their mother for God's sake!"

Raph's angry look softened. "You're right, Leo," he said. "I'm sorry. Of course, we should take them home with us."

"Thanks, Raph," said Leo softly. "That's what Master Splinter would want. Now, come on, you two," he said to the girls.

Erin took Maureen's hand and they followed their two new friends. They were thankful that Leo and Raph were willing to take them in. Hopefully, they would be able to answer the questions that Erin and Maureen had for them.

"So, where do you guys live?" asked Maureen.

"We live in the sewers," said Leo. "It's the safest place we know of."

"Ugh!" said Erin, wrinkling her nose.

"You know, we could always leave you here in the alley if you want," Raph said with a smile

"Raph!" Leo cried, shooting his brother an angry look.

"I'll pass, thanks," Erin said, returning her own smile.

**The Lair**

Back in the Lair, Don, Mikey, and Splinter were waiting for the others to get back. Mikey was in the kitchen looking for some snacks to munch on. He found a bag of Doritos Nacho Cheesier chips and carried them out to the living room where Master Splinter was watching the news. Don was in his lab, as usual, working on one of his inventions.

"What's taking Leo and Raph so long?" Mikey wondered. "They should have been back by now."

"It is not like them to wander off so long," Splinter said. "I just hope that nothing has happened to them." His thoughts went to the day when Leonardo was attacked by the Foot Ninjas. He just hoped his son was okay now.

Suddenly, they all heard the elevator descend and then open. In walked Leo and Raph with two girls beside them.

Leonardo made the introductions. "This is Erin and Maureen Finnigan, everyone," he said. "Erin and Maureen, these are our two brothers, Michelangelo and Donatello. And this is our Master Splinter."

"Nice to meet you all," said Erin politely. Maureen nodded in agreement.

Splinter got up from his chair. "It is nice to meet you, too, my children," he said. He turned to Leonardo. "How did you find them, my son?"

"I saw them getting attacked by Foot Ninjas," replied Leonardo. "I went to rescue them, and that's when Raph came along. We helped them out and brought them here. They told me they were looking for April. Apparently, she's their mother's closest friend."

"And where is your mother?" asked Splinter gently.

"She died when our apartment building exploded," answered Erin. "We knew that April could help us. That's when we got attacked and Leo and Raph helped us."

"I see," said Splinter. "Well, you two must rest. You have been through a terrible ordeal. We will hear more of your story in the morning."

"Where are they gonna sleep?" asked Mikey.

"Erin can take the spare room next to mine, and Maureen can bunk with me," said Leo. "Is that okay, Master Splinter?"

"Yes, it is," said Splinter.

Leo helped the girls upstairs and got them settled in. Don came in to give them bandages and ice. Then, Leo said goodnight and went to the bathroom before going to bed. He met Raph outside before he went to his room.

"Leo, I just want to apologize for what I said earlier," said Raph. "I didn't mean it."

"It's okay, Raph," said Leo. "I know you didn't mean it."

"Good," said Raph. "Goodnight, Leo."

"Goodnight, Raph," said Leo. Then they both went to their rooms to sleep.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. What do you think? Is Shredder after the girls? Does this have anything to do with their mom's death? Find out in the next chapter. Please read and review.


	4. Chapter 4: Decisions and Discoveries

Chapter 4

Decisions and Discoveries

A/N: Well, here's a new chapter. Thanks to all of those who reviewed. Here are some shout-outs:

**Shellsboy 24: **Thanks for your review. Leo is not a loser. You're the loser. Just kidding! Keep reviewing my story.

**Ana the Romantic: **I know it looked weird for Erin to let Leo hug her, but I would've done the same thing. She was just upset and needed comfort. Keep reviewing, and I'll keep reviewing your story too.

**Lioness Goddess: **Glad you like the story. Shredder tried to recruit the boyfriend, not Erin and Maureen's dad. You'll find out more in this chapter. Keep reviewing.

Now, that I've done that, it's time to get on with the story. Keep reading and reviewing. All flames will be cut up by Leo's katanas.

Disclaimer: Turtles not mine. I'm just borrowing them. I own Erin, Maureen, and anyone else not related to the Turtles. Enjoy!

The next morning, Erin woke up and ground the sleep out of her eyes. For a minute, she couldn't remember where she was. Then, it all came back to her. She yawned and stretched her arms. Then she got out of bed and crept downstairs to use the bathroom. She was surprised to find Leonardo awake with Splinter watching the news.

"Hey, how's it going?" asked Leo when he saw Erin come in.

"Good," replied Erin. She sat on the couch between Leo and Splinter. "So, what's going on in the news?" she asked.

"There was another suicide bombing in Iraq this morning," said Leo. "I just don't get why people would do this after we saved them."

"Me neither," said Erin. "I mean, how can they do this after we freed them from Saddam? Do they hate us or something?"

"I do not know," said Splinter. "I feel that these people are troubled. They need help for their problems."

"Either that, or they're the ones who still support Saddam," Erin said.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Leo said.

Then Maureen came downstairs, rubbing her eyes. "I need to use the bathroom," she said.

"It's right next to the kitchen," Leo said, pointing it out.

"Thanks," Maureen said. She ran to it and slammed the door.

Donatello came out of his room. "Hey, guys," he said. "I got an e-mail from April. She's due to return on Sunday if the weather's good. She'll stop by here after she unpacks her stuff."

"Great," Leo said. "I can't wait to see her."

"The bathroom's free if anyone needs to use it," Maureen announced.

"I'm going to take a shower," Erin said. "I have some dance clothes to change into." She went upstairs and got her dance clothes. Then she went into the bathroom and closed the door.

"What's for breakfast, Leo?" Maureen asked, getting into his lap.

"Whatever you want," Leo told her. "What do you usually eat for breakfast?"

"Coca Puffs," Maureen answered. "Do you have those?"

"Yes, we do," Leo said. "Do you dip them in milk?"

"No, I usually eat them dry," Maureen said. "But I do like milk to drink."

"Okay," Leo said. "Let's go to the kitchen and get it." The two of them headed to the kitchen and were nearly bowled over by Michelangelo.

"Breakfast time!" Mikey cried, running into the kitchen. He threw open the refrigerator and took out a carton of eggs. He put two of them in a frying pan and turned on the stove.

"Do you want eggs, Maureen?" Leo asked.

"No thanks, Leo," Maureen said. "I'll just have my cereal."

Raphael came into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Hey, who's in the bathroom?" he asked.

"Erin's taking a shower," Leo said. "She should be out soon."

"She better be," said Raph. He went to the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk. He took a swig right from the carton.

"Eew!" said Maureen, wrinkling her nose. "That is so gross, Raph!"

Raph wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glared at her. "So what?" he said. "I always do that."

Then Erin came into the kitchen. "Well, the bathroom's free," she announced.

"It's about time," said Raph. He ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Erin rolled her eyes and reached for the carton of milk.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you," said Maureen. "Raph drank straight from the carton."

"Gross!" said Erin. "I'll just have orange juice then." She got it from the refrigerator and poured herself a glass.

After Raph came back, the family settled down for breakfast. There were bacon and eggs, toast, cereal, milk, and juice. During breakfast, the Turtles asked Erin and Maureen about their hobbies and what they liked. The girls found out that they had a lot in common with their new friends.

After breakfast, Splinter, the Turtles, and the girls returned to the living room to talk. Normally, the Turtles would have had practice now, but Splinter decided that he needed to hear more about Erin and Maureen.

Splinter sat down in his chair and crossed his legs. Mikey and Don sat on the couch while Leo and Raph sat next to the girls on the floor. Erin and Maureen had no idea what was going on and looked at Splinter questioningly.

"I know that you have had a bad ordeal, but I feel that you should tell us more," Splinter said in his gentle way. "Please tell us of the events that transpired the day that you lost your mother. Start at the beginning."

Erin began to tell them everything that had happened that fateful day. When she was done, the Turtles and Splinter exchanged looks of sadness and sympathy.

"Who would do this?" Mikey asked.

"I think I know who," Leo said. "I've thought about this ever since the girls came to us. Now, you may not believe me, but I feel that the Shredder did this."

"Why do you feel this way, my son?" Splinter asked gently.

"Because of the way their building blew up," answered Leo. "It reminded me of the way April's building blew up last year."

"You mean April's building blew up, too?" asked Erin incredulously.

"Yes," said Leo. "That's what makes me believe that the Shredder did this."

"Come off it, Leo," scoffed Raph. "The Shredder's gone. It could have been someone else." He turned to the girls. "Do you know of anyone who had something against your mom?"

"I do," said Erin. "His name's Brad Carson. He's Mom's old boyfriend from high school. Mom went out with him for a little while, until she found out that he was into drugs. Then she dumped him and met our dad. I think Brad was jealous of them. A year later, our dad died in a car crash. Brad came to our mom and told her that he'd changed. Mom believed him at first, but then she found out that he was with the Foot Clan. She told him she didn't want anything to do with a criminal and left him. I know he resent us, too."

"So, you think that because your mother left him that he killed her?" asked Leo.

"Yes," said Erin. "I'm sure of it. He was mad because this was the second time she had rejected him."

"So, you mean that this bonehead works for the Foot?" asked Raph.

"Yes, he does," replied Erin. "He loved being there and serving their leader. He worshipped the leader of the Foot."

"Do you know the leader's name?" asked Splinter.

"I do," said Maureen. "His name's Oroku Socko."

"She means Oroku Saki," corrected Erin. "Everyone says he's so great."

Mikey gasped. "That's the Shredder!" he cried.

"Really?" asked Erin. "I've never heard him called that before."

"I have," said Maureen. "I heard Brad and Mom talking one time. He said that he was sworn to serve the Shredder and the Foot. At first, I thought he was talking about a paper shredder or something."

Raphael was angry. "I say we kick this guy's butt," he growled.

"That won't bring their mother back," Leonardo pointed out.

"But he killed their mother," Raph said. "And you want to let him get away with that?"

"What choice do we have?" Leo asked. "If we reveal ourselves, he may send the Foot after us. Plus, he could hurt Erin and Maureen. Do you want to be responsible for that, Raph?"

"No, of course not," Raph said. "I'm just angry at what he did."

"We all are," Splinter said gently. "But that is no reason to act rashly, my son. The only thing we can do is protect Erin and Maureen from his clutches." He went into his room to meditate upon what he had just learned.

Michelangelo went to his room to read his comic book while Donatello went to his lab to work on his invention.

Raphael sprawled on the couch to watch TV. "Hey, Leo, want to watch a movie with me?" he asked.

"Not today, Raph," said Leo. "I'm gonna take a walk."

"Can Erin and I go with you?" asked Maureen.

"Sure," said Leo. "You'll like the place I'm going to take you." The two girls followed him out of the Lair and into the sewers.

"Where are you taking us?" asked Erin curiously.

"To my special place," said Leo. "Actually, it's Raph's and my special place. We found it when we were exploring the sewers when we were younger."

"You mean you and Raph get along?" asked Maureen, trying to keep up.

"Yes, we do," said Leo. "Of course, we have our fights like any normal brother or sister. Do you guys get along?"

"Sometimes," said Erin. "I think the reason we fight a lot is because we had to share a room with each other. You guys are lucky you never had to do that."

"Actually, we did share a room when we were younger," Leo said. "But we were inseparable. We were always worried about one another. One time, when I had a fever, Raph was really worried. He was at my side all night long. He wouldn't leave me, even though Master Splinter told him I'd be okay. That showed that he really cared about me."

"Does he still care about you now?" Maureen asked.

"Yes, he does, although he never really shows it," Leo said. "I know he's looking out for me though. I hope that you two are the same way."

"Of course we are," Erin said firmly. "I will always protect Maureen."

"Good," Leo said. "That's what I want to see. I don't want you guys fighting all the time."

"You sound just like our mother," Maureen said with a giggle. "She would say that to us all the time."

"Did you guys ever know our mother, Leo?" asked Erin.

"We'd heard of her, but we never met her," answered Leo. "Even though your mom was April's closest friend, she never told your mother about us."

"Why not?" asked Maureen.

"Because it was supposed to be a secret," said Leo. "April never told anyone."

"Mom would have kept it a secret," said Erin. "She might have told us, but she would never have told anyone else. At least, she would have told me. Maureen would probably have told someone."

"So would you," retorted her sister. "You would have told your friends."

"Girls, calm down," said Leo. "I don't care if you tell someone, as long as they swear never to tell anyone else. We'd also have to clear it with Master Splinter. He's very worried that people will discover us and put us in labs to be tested on. Others would mistake us for freaks. They wouldn't understand that we're good and that we help them out."

"How horrible!" Erin said softly. "Don't worry, Leo, we won't let that happen to you."

"Where are we?" Maureen asked. "I think I hear a waterfall."

"That's my special place," Leo said. "Come on." He led them over some rocks and between two boulders until they came to a huge pond. Water gushed out of a pipe like a waterfall.

"This place is beautiful!" Erin gasped. "No wonder you like it. It's ideal for meditation."

"I know," Leo said. "This is where I come when I feel depressed or when I just want to be alone."

"So, Leo, how do you guys know the Shredder?" Erin asked.

"Well, it's a long story," Leo said. Then he told them of how Shredder killed Splinter's Master Yoshi and how Shredder had wanted Leo to join his army. Then Leo told them of the night when Shredder attacked him and burned down April's building.

"Wow!" Erin gasped. "You've been through a lot, too." She could tell that he was in a lot of pain just talking about it. She put her arm around him and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, Erin," Leo said. "I really needed that."

"Hey, guys, look!" Maureen cried. A basket had just shot out of the pipe and landed with a splash.

"Something's in there," Erin said. She watched as the basket drew nearer to where they were. Inside were three baby kittens mewing at the top of their lungs. They looked frightened and wet.

"Kittens!" Maureen cried. She picked up the orange one with stripes on his back. "Can we keep them, Leo?" she asked.

"We'd have to ask Master Splinter first," said Leo. "But I don't think he'll object."

"Cool," said Erin. She picked up the black and white kitten while Leo took the grey and white kitten. Together, they went to the Lair with their new friends. When they got home, they noticed a familiar face sitting on the couch with Raph.

"April!" cried Maureen. She ran and gave April a hug.

"Hey, guys," greeted April. "I'm so glad you're safe. Where did the kittens come from?"

"We found them," said Erin. "They were in the sewers and we brought them home."

"Well, what are you going to call them?" asked April.

"I'm going to name this one Milo," said Maureen, cuddling the orange kitten. "I'm naming him after a movie I saw."

"Well, I'm calling mine Oreo," said Erin. "She's black and white just like an Oreo cookie."

"What about you, Leo?" asked Maureen.

"I'm calling this one Yoshi in honor of Master Splinter's master," replied Leo.

"An excellent choice, my son," said Splinter. "I think these kittens will make a nice addition to our family. But remember, you three, that you must take care of them."

"We will, Sensei," said Leo.

"Yeah, we'll take good care of them," added Maureen.

"Good," said Splinter. "Now, why are you here, Miss O'Neil?"

"I came to tell the girls some important news," said April. "I think it would be best if you girls stayed here. It would be harder for Brad to track you."

"Great!" aid Erin with a smile.

"Goody!" Maureen said, jumping up and down in her excitement.

"I'm glad you like it," April said. "I'll stop by from time to time to see how you're getting along. I figure it's only fair that I do since I promised your mother."

"Let's party!" Mikey cried, bringing out some boxes of pizza.

They spent the rest of the day eating pizza and talking about future plans. April promised to go to the variety show and videotape it for the Turtles. Erin and Maureen exchanged smiles, happy to have a family again.

**Foot Headquarters**

Brad Carson paced the floor of the warehouse impatiently. He only hoped that the Foot Ninjas had carried out their plan. One of the Foot Ninjas came up to him and handed him a paper. He read it with a grin. Noleen had died in the blast. Then his smile faded. The children weren't on the list.

"I don't see Erin's or Maureen's name here," Brad mused. "How did they survive?"

Then, another Foot Ninja came up to Brad, looking badly beaten. Brad looked at him in surprise.

"What happened to you?" demanded Brad. "Why do you look like this?"

"Sir, we tried to carry out the plan," said the Foot Ninja. "But the children weren't home. They spotted the building burning and left. We tried to ambush them, but we were attacked."

"By who?" asked Brad with a scowl on his lips.

"Two of the Turtles," said the Foot Ninja. "We didn't stand a chance against them."

"You fool!" hissed Brad. "There were only two of them! You could have taken them easily. You were just a bunch of cowards. Master Shredder will be most displeased at your failure."

"But we couldn't help it," whined the Foot Ninja. "Those Turtles were too powerful."

"Be quiet!" snapped Brad. "I will hear no more of your nonsense!"

Then Shredder appeared. "What have you learned?" he asked.

"Your Foot Ninjas couldn't carry out the whole plan," said Brad. "The two girls are still alive and well. Your men tried to attack them, but they were rescued by two of the Turtles."

The Shredder grew angry. "This is an outrage!" he shouted. "Why didn't you stop the Turtles and take the girls?"

"They were too powerful," answered the Foot Ninja. "We didn't stand a chance."

The Shredder was silent. Once again, his enemies had gotten the best of him. But that wouldn't last for long.

"What should we do, Master?" asked Brad.

"We'll find them," said Shredder. "And once we do, they will all pay." His evil laughter rang out, echoing through the warehouse. He would get his revenge sooner or later.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. So, will Shredder get the girls? Can the Turtles protect them against Brad and Shredder? Find out in the next chapter coming soon. Please read and review.


	5. Chapter 5: Missing

Chapter 5

Missing

A/N: Well, here's another chapter by me. I hope you like it. Here are some shout-outs to those who have reviewed my fiction so far:

**Shellsboy24: **Thanks for the review! Keep reading my story and try to update yours.

**Ana the Romantic: **Thanks a lot. I know that part with Mikey was funny. That's what I wanted. Keep updating your story. It rocks.

**Readrrr Grrl: **Thanks for the compliment. I wanted to add the kittens in there for a cute touch. They aren't relevant to the story though. Keep reading my story and update yours. It's really good so far.

**Chibi C.A.S: **Glad you like the story. Keep reading it. Also, update your own story. I really like it a lot. You are a great writer.

Well, now that I've done that, let's get on with the story. This chapter will be very good.

Disclaimer: Turtles aren't mine. I'd love to hang out with them though. That would be cool. Leo rules!

The next few days with the Turtles brought Erin and Maureen nothing but joy. There was so much to do and to discover. One day, the girls sat in on one of the Turtles' practices and had a lot of fun. They sat on the floor and cheered on Leonardo as he sparred with Raph. Raphael didn't like this, but Leo was amused by it. He'd never had anyone cheer him on like that. It helped him to beat Raph, which Raph didn't like.

"Yay, Leo!" cheered Maureen. "You rock!" She did a little victory dance to celebrate.

"Wicked moves, little sis!" said Michelangelo with a grin. "Why don't you guys show us what you can do?"

"Okay," said Erin. She went upstairs and got her boom box that April had bought her and her Play CD. She put the CD in and danced to "Us Against The World." The Turtles were amazed at her moves and energy. They couldn't believe that she was so talented.

After Erin was finished, the Turtles turned anxiously to Maureen, expecting her to dance for them too.

"I don't dance like my sister does," said Maureen. "I love to draw and write stories. I draw more than I write though." She went upstairs and came back with her drawing pad. The Turtles looked at the drawings with awe. Maureen was very good at drawing.

"These are very good, Maureen," said Leonardo. "You might become a famous artist someday."

"I hope so," said Maureen. She showed them her latest drawing, which was a picture of her kitten, Milo. In it, he was sitting very still, looking at his owner with his head tilted to one side.

"How cute, Maureen!" said Erin. "I really like this picture."

"Thanks," said Maureen, smiling at her sister.

"Hey, Erin, want to check your e-mail?" asked Donatello. "Maybe Kelly sent you a reply." Erin had written to Kelly to tell her where she and Maureen were staying.

"Sure," Erin said. She went to the computer and checked her e-mail. There was one message from Kelly. Erin opened it and read it to herself.

"What does she say, Erin?" Maureen asked.

"She says she's glad we're safe and that she and the others want to meet the guys," Erin replied. "I think the best time would be on Monday. We were going to have an _American Idol _premiere party at my house. Is it okay if we have it here, Master Splinter?"

"Yes, it is, my child," Splinter said gently. "I would love to meet these friends that you have talked about."

"Great!" Erin exclaimed. She sent a reply to Kelly, telling her about the party. Then she sat on the couch with Leo and Maureen, watching Milo, Oreo, and Yoshi play.

That night, Erin was awakened by her sister's scream. She ran into Leo's room to find Maureen trembling. Leo was holding her tightly in his arms, soothing her.

"What's wrong?" Erin asked.

"Maureen had a nightmare," answered Leonardo. "She had a dream that the Foot were chasing you again."

"Is she okay?" asked Erin anxiously.

"She'll be fine," said Leo reassuringly. "I'll go down and make her some tea. That usually helps me when I have a bad dream." He carried Maureen downstairs and made her a cup of tea. The little girl drank it and felt much better.

Then Splinter came into the room. "Did you have the dream again, Leonardo?" he asked.

"No, Sensei," said Leonardo. "Maureen had a dream that the Foot were chasing her and Erin again. She was pretty frightened by it."

"And yet you have managed to calm her, I see," said Splinter. "I would like to speak with you, my son. There is something I need to ask you."

"Okay," said Leonardo. He took Maureen upstairs and tucked her into bed. Then he went back downstairs and joined his sensei. What was it that Master Splinter needed to speak to him about?

"I have noticed something ever since the girls arrived here," said Splinter. "It has come to my attention that they have formed a bond with you. Is this so?"

"Yes, it is, Master Splinter," replied Leonardo. "I think it's because I was the one who rescued them that day. I feel as though it's my responsibility to watch over them and protect them."

"Do you feel that you can live up to this responsibility, Leonardo?" asked Splinter.

"I think so," said Leonardo. "At least, I hope so. I know it will require a lot of work, but I feel that I can do it Do you think I can, Sensei?"

"Yes, I do, my son," replied Splinter. "You have proven that you can handle many things. I have faith that you will protect the girls from anything that can harm them. Can you do this?"

"Yes, I can, Sensei," Leo promised. "Don't worry, the girls will be safe with me."

"Good," Splinter said. "Now, go to sleep, my son. You need your rest."

Leonardo bowed to Splinter and hugged him. He went back upstairs and checked on Maureen. She was sleeping peacefully. Leo knew that it was up to him to make sure that she and her sister were safe. He just hoped that he'd be able to protect them from the Shredder and his evil army.

**Riverdale School**

On Monday, Erin and Maureen returned to school. Everyone had heard about their mother's death and were quick to extend their condolences. Maureen had told her three friends, Laura Kinney, Natalie O'Donnell and Pamela Quimby, all about her new family. They had sworn never to tell anyone else about the Turtles and Maureen believed them.

Erin had also told Kelly, Sara, and Lindsay about her brothers. They couldn't wait to meet them that day. However, they didn't talk about it for fear that Jeanie and her friends would find out. Instead, they talked about the variety show and about the premiere of _American Idol _that night.

"Hello, Erin," Jeanie said, coming up with her friends. "We though you had left the country since your mother died."

Erin bristled. "Well, I didn't!" she said angrily. "And how dare you insult my mother!"

"So, where are you living now?" Jeanie asked. "In an orphanage or a foster home?"

"Neither," Erin replied defensively. "I live with my mother's friend, April O'Neil. She takes care of Maureen and me."

"Oh, I see," Jeanie said. "Too bad you won't be in the variety show. I was hoping I'd have some real competition."

"I'm trying out for the variety show," Erin said angrily. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I figured you couldn't because of your mother's tragic death," Jeanie said.

"My mother would want me to dance in the show," said Erin. "And I will dance as a tribute to her memory."

"How touching," said Jeanie with a smirk. "Well, I have to go. See you losers around." She sauntered off with her head held high.

"Forget about her," said Kelly, putting her hand on Erin's shoulder. "Let's go meet your family and have fun."

"Okay," said Erin. She led her friends to the abandoned warehouse after school and into the elevator. Her friends were amazed when the doors opened up to reveal the Lair.

"Wow!" gasped Kelly. "This place is so cool!"

"Thanks," said Erin. "These are my brothers, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. And this is Master Splinter, our dad."

"Pleased to meet you," said the girls, shaking hands with all of them.

"It is nice to meet you, too, my children," said Splinter. "We have heard a lot about you from Erin."

"I hope they were good things," Lindsay teased.

"Oh, don't worry, she didn't reveal any secrets," Leonardo said with a smile.

"That's good," Kelly said with a sigh of relief.

That night, they all watched _American Idol_ together. They had a lot of fun laughing at all the bad auditions. Mikey tried to sing during a commercial break, but he got hit in the head by Raph. They were all sad when the show ended. The girls slept over and told the Turtles about some of their crazy adventures. The Turtles told the girls about some of their adventures, too. Erin promised to tape the show tomorrow for Kelly because she had to go to her brother's basketball game.

**The next day in the sewers**

The next day was a happy day for Maureen. She was going to spend the whole afternoon with Leo at his special place. Erin and her friends were at Central Park, practicing for the variety show.

Maureen and Leo set out with Milo trailing at their heels. They set up their picnic and began to eat. Maureen fed bits to Milo, who sat looking at them with his sad eyes. Then, they threw rocks in the water, played catch with a ball, teased Milo with some string, and played a few card games that Erin had taught Maureen.

During all this, Leonardo sensed that something was bothering Maureen. "Are you okay, little sis?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Leo," Maureen replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You look as though you have something on your mind," Leo said. "Do you?"

"Sorta," Maureen answered. "I really miss spending time with Erin. When we shared a room together, we used to talk to each other. Sometimes, she'd take me to the mall and we'd hang out, just the two of us."

"And you feel left out because she's spending more time with her friends instead of with you?" Leo asked her.

"Yeah," Maureen said. "I wish it could be like old times."

"I know," Leo said. "Well, when the variety show's over, maybe Erin will spend time with you."

"Maybe," Maureen said. "Anyway, I'm glad I have you, Leo. You make me feel happy. I love having a big brother."

"And I like having two little sister," Leo said. "I promise that I'll protect you and Erin from anything that may hurt you. Now, we'd better get home. Erin should be back by now." He took Maureen's hand and they set out for home.

**Central Park**

"Nice job, you two!" Erin said as Sara and Lindsay finished their routine. "I think we can win this thing for sure."

"Me too," Sara added, wiping some sweat from her forehead. "We've been doing really well. I think everyone will be surprised."

"So, should we do this tomorrow, too?" Kelly asked.

"Yes," Erin replied. "We need to keep perfecting it. That's why I suggested we practice today. The show's in a few weeks, and I don't want us to get careless on our routines."

"Cool," Lindsay said. "Now, that's what I like to hear. See, I told you you'd make a great leader."

"Oh, stop it!" Erin said modestly. "I'm not that good."

"You are to us," Kelly said with a smile.

"Okay," Erin said. Then she checked her watch. "I have to go," she said. "I promised Maureen and Leo I'd watch a movie with them."

"Why didn't Maureen come along?" Sara wanted to know.

"She wanted to spend time with Leo," Erin answered. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, see you then," Kelly said.

"Yeah, have fun with the guys," Sara added.

"Tell them we said hi," Lindsay chimed in.

"I will," Erin said. "See ya!" She ran to the warehouse and descended in the elevator. She found Raphael sitting on the couch. "Are Leo and Maureen back yet?" she asked him.

"Nope," Raphael said. "It's not like them to be late either."

"Do you think we should look for them?" asked Erin.

"I think it'd be a good idea," said Raph. "I don't have a good feeling about this." He and Erin left the Lair, hoping to find that Leo and Maureen were safe.

"So, how did practice go?" asked Raph.

"Fine," said Erin. "We're making a lot of progress now."

"That's good," said Raph. His eyes darted this way and that, looking for Leo and Maureen. He was starting to get really worried.

"Raph, look!" screamed Erin, pointing up ahead. Leo was sprawled on the ground, badly wounded. Maureen was nowhere in sight.

"Leo, what happened?" asked Erin frantically. "Where's Maureen?"

"The Foot ambushed us," said Leo weakly. "They took Maureen. I tried to fight them off, but I couldn't."

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. Will Leo be okay? What are they going to do? Will they rescue Maureen? You'll find out...in the next chapter. Please read and review.


	6. Chapter 6: The Call

Chapter 6

The Call

A/N: Well, here's another chapter by me. But first, I want to tell all you Turtles fans that "The Big Brawl" saga is now out on DVD. Check it out 'cause it's outta sight. And now for some shout-outs to those who have reviewed my story.

**Ashley: **You're a Leo fan too? Awesome! So am I. I also think he'll be okay too. He definitely rocks. Keep reading and reviewing.

**Readrrr Grrl: **Thanks for the compliments! You'll like this chapter too. Read it and review it.

**Shellsboy 24: **Thanks for your sweet review. I am feeling much better than I was on Tuesday. Keep reading this story and sending more sweet reviews. Here's a few hugs and kisses back. Xoxoxoxo.

**Paciphys: **Sorry if I spelled your name wrong. Thanks for your review. Yes, Raph would drink the orange juice, but he decided to drink the milk instead. I can't believe you guessed the movie that Milo's name came from! That movie is adorable. I remember watching it in first grade and getting hooked on it. Keep reading and reviewing.

Okay, now that that's done, it's time for the new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. I wish I did, but I'm only dreaming. I do own any characters not related to the Turtles. Enjoy this chapter!

Together, Erin and Raphael took Leonardo by the arms to help him get home. Before they left, Raph spotted something on Leo's back. He tore it off and looked at it angrily.

"What is it?" asked Erin.

"A tracking device," said Raph. "They must've planted it on him, hoping he'd lead them to our Lair. Well, tough luck for them." He dropped the device on the floor and crushed it with his foot. "C'mon, let's get Leo home," he said. The two of them helped Leo get home safely. Erin was praying that he'd be all right.

Splinter was startled when the three of them entered the Lair. "What happened?" he asked anxiously.

"Leo was ambushed by the Foot," answered Raphael angrily. "They took Maureen. Leo tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them."

"I tried to fight them," said Leonardo weakly. "It's my fault. I promised her I'd protect her, and I broke my promise."

"It is not your fault, my son," said Splinter gently. "You didn't know what would happen. You tried to protect her, but there were too many Foot Ninjas. Do not blame yourself. Now, try to rest. You have been put through a terrible ordeal."

Leonardo closed his eyes and tried to do as Master Splinter said, but it was hard. He couldn't stop thinking of Maureen and what had happened to her. Where was she? What was the Shredder doing to her? Leo shivered at the very thought. He didn't even want to think about it.

Meanwhile, Raphael was doing his best to comfort Erin. He knew she was going through a rough time right now. Raph held her and tried to cheer her up, but it wasn't working.

"Those jerks!" stormed Erin. "How dare they hurt Leo and take my sister! I'm going to get her back! I swear I will, Raph!"

"Calm down, Erin!" Raph said. "You're going through a bad time. I know you want to save her, but you can't."

"What do you know?" Erin said harshly. "My sister is at the mercy of the Foot. We should be out there looking for her!"

"She could be anywhere," Raph said. "The Foot have many hideouts. We wouldn't know where to look. We need to just lie low and be patient."

"Since when did you go soft?" Erin snarled. "You never used to care about lying low and being patient. Leo told me you were always rash and careless."

"Leo's right, but it's the way things have to be," Raphael said. "If we do look for your sister, you can't go with us. It wouldn't be safe. Leo would just blame himself is something happened to you, too. He even thinks you blame him for what happened. I can see it in his eyes."

"But I don't blame him," Erin said.

"Then, I think you should tell him that tomorrow," Raph said. "Right now, you should get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." He hugged her and went to his own room.

Erin snuggled under the covers and though about what Raph had said. He was right. She needed to pull herself together. She had to comfort Leo and help him to heal. Before she went to bed, she knelt down and prayed for her sister's return and her brother's recovery. She just hoped everything would be all right.

**Foot Headquarters**

Maureen looked around her in fear. Where was she? And why had she been brought here? She remembered that she and Leo had been ambushed by the Foot. Was Leo okay? Had he gone to warn the others? She hoped they would rescue her soon.

Then, Maureen heard a door open. Brad Carson walked in, followed by a man in a suit of metal and a metal helmet. It reminded Maureen of the villain in the movie _Spaceballs, _which her brothers had shown her.

"Hello, Maureen," Brad said with a wicked grin. "How are you doing?"

"Not well, if you must know," Maureen replied angrily. "Why did you kidnap me? What is it about?"

"I'm glad you asked, Maureen," Brad said. "Allow me to introduce the Shredder. He's the leader of the Foot and the one that I serve."

Maureen glared at the other man. "So?" she snapped. "What does he have to do with this?"

"A lot," Brad replied. "I hear that you're living with a new family, a family consisting of four turtles and a rat."

"How did you know that?" Maureen demanded.

"I have my ways," Brad answered mysteriously. "Anyway, these family members happen to be the Foot's worst enemies. They are evil."

"No they're not," Maureen contradicted. "They told me about you. You're the evil ones."

"They're lying," the Shredder said, speaking for the first time. "They are brainwashing you. I know how they are. I once persuaded one of them to join me, but he refused. I hope that you will think differently. I am asking you and your sister to join me. If you do, we can do good things for the city. If you don't, you will be against me."

"I will never join you," said Maureen angrily. "You killed Splinter's master, and you killed my mother. I despise you for what you have done."

Brad grew angry. "Listen, you little brat!" he snarled. "You'll either join the Foot, or you and your family will die! I'll give you a few days to think it over. If you want your family to live, you'll make the right decision." Then he and the Shredder left Maureen to her own thoughts.

Maureen hung her head in despair. She just hoped her brothers would be able to get her out of this mess. If not, they would all be doomed. She didn't want to join the Foot at any cost. Still, if she didn't make the right decision, her family would die. Maureen closed her eyes and prayed that God would help her make the right choice.

**The Lair**

The next morning, Erin opened her eyes and looked at the alarm clock. It was seven o' clock in the morning. The others were surely up by now and were waiting for her. She crept downstairs and was surprised to see that the T.V. wasn't on.

Puzzled, Erin saw that Leonardo wasn't on the couch as he should have been. She was beginning to get frightened. What if the Foot had come and taken him? She ran upstairs to his room and found him sitting on the floor, gazing at the scrapbook he'd made.

"Leo, you know you're not supposed to be up here," Erin said. "You should be downstairs resting. I thought that you'd been taken when I didn't find you on the couch."

Leonardo looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry I frightened you, Erin," he said softly. "I was feeling down about what happened. I figured that this would make me feel better."

Erin drew closer and saw that he was looking at a picture of herself, Maureen, and Leo on the couch. April had taken the picture a few days before. A lump came to her throat. How she missed Maureen!

Leo saw the look of pain in her eyes, and it made him feel bad. "I'm so sorry," he said softly.

"For what?" Erin asked.

"For your sister getting taken," Leo replied. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't taken her from the Lair, none of this would have happened."

Erin put her arm around him. "Leo, I don't blame you," she said gently. "I never did. It's their fault that my sister was taken. I just hope we find her."

"We will, Erin," Leo reassured her. "I promise you that. But first, I have to get better. I'm in no shape to rescue anyone just now."

Erin giggled and helped Leo to his feet. Together, they made their way downstairs to the living room. Splinter was on the couch watching the news with April beside him. They looked up when Leo and Erin came in.

"Hey, guys," April greeted them. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess," Erin said with a small smile. "I still miss my sister though."

April looked at her sympathetically. "I know you do, sweetie," she said gently. "I miss her too, and I miss your mom. We had some good times together."

Splinter looked at them with a sad look in his eyes. Then he turned to his oldest son. "Leonardo, were you upstairs?" he asked.

"Yes, Master Splinter," Leo said. "I just went up to look in my scrapbook. I was feeling upset. Where are the others?"

"They are out on a training run," Splinter answered. He looked at his son seriously. "You should have been down here resting," he said firmly. "You are not strong enough to do anything. If you try to climb those stairs, you will injure yourself far worse than what you are now. Erin, make sure your brother gets his rest. I will be in my room."

"Okay, Master Splinter," said Erin. She guided Leo to the couch and tucked the blanket around him. "Just rest, Leo," she said gently. "I'll keep an eye on everything." She kissed him on the forehead, and she and April went upstairs to listen to music and talk.

"Nice room," commented April. "It's so clean and neat."

"Thanks," said Erin. "The stuff you bought really helped. The guys helped me decorate it. Well, at least Leo and Mikey did. Raph didn't want to, and Donnie was too busy in his lab."

"I bet," said April. "I take it Leo's bonded to you, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, he's really taken to me and Maureen," said Erin. Then the phone rang, and she hurried to answer it. "Hello?" she said.

"Hello, Erin," said a deep voice. "How are you?"

"Brad!" said Erin angrily. "What do you want? Where's my sister? Tell me!"

"Relax, Erin," said Brad. "She's safe for now. But if you don't do as I say, you may not have a sister. Just give me what I want, and everything will be fine."

"What do you want?" asked Erin.

"I want the Turtles," replied Brad. "I'll give you four days to bring them to me. This starts tomorrow. If you do, your sister goes free. If not, your sister will die. The choice is up to you." Then he hung up the phone.

Erin sank to the ground in despair. What was she going to do? If she didn't give Brad the Turtles, Maureen would die. Still, she couldn't sacrifice her family; they were too dear to her.

April ran to Erin's side. "Who was that on the phone, Erin?" she asked.

"It was Brad," Erin said through her sobs. "He threatened me. He said if I didn't give him what he wants, he'll kill Maureen."

"Calm down, honey," April said. "Let's go downstairs and tell Master Splinter. I'm sure he can help us."

When the two got downstairs, they found Mikey, Don, and Raph talking to Casey Jones, another human friend. They were telling Leo, Splinter, and Casey about what they had done that day. They all turned when April and Erin came down.

"What's going on, Erin?" asked Raphael.

"I just received a threatening phone call," answered Erin. "It was Brad. He said if I gave him what he wanted, Maureen would be okay. If I didn't, Maureen would die. He sounds serious about it, too."

"What does he want?" asked Leo softly.

"He wants you guys," said Erin, pointing to the Turtles.

A/N: Wow! Cliffhanger! Who would have thought I could pull that off? Will the Turtles be okay? Will they be able to save Maureen and stop Brad? Find out in the next chapter coming soon. Please read and review this one.


	7. Chapter 7:Waiting

Chapter 7

Waiting

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter to my story. I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far. Thanks to all those who reviewed. And now, here are some shout-outs to those awesome people:

**Chibi roseAngel: **Thanks for the review. Here's your update! Keep reading.

**Shellsboy24: **Thanks for your review sweetie. I thought that this last chapter would be good. Glad u liked it. Keep reading and reviewing. And Leo is not a fool, but you are a big dork! Just kidding-lol! Enjoy this chapter.

**Lioness-Goddess: **Glad u liked the part about Dark Helmet. Shredder reminded me of him after I saw Spaceballs and watched an episode of the Turtles. Keep reading and reviewing.

**JeffyzGal2: **It's cool that you're a Leo fan. It's also cool that u liked my story. Keep reading and reviewing. Do u like the new Turtles series? If so, which ones are your favorite episodes? Leo definitely kicks major booty!

**Ana the Romantic: **It's ok that u didn't review my last chapter before chapter six. Thanks for the review though. Keep updating your story 'cause it rocks, and keep reading and reviewing mine.

**Pacphys: **I know I don't have the best word choice, but I try. Anyway, thanks for the tip and the review. Keep it coming.

Well, now that I've done that, let's get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I've said this before and I'll say this again: I don't own the Turtles. They are owned by Eastman and Laird who created them. Enjoy this story. All bad reviews will be cut up by Leo's katana.

"What are we going to do?" wailed Erin.

"We'll go there and kick his butt," said Raphael, pounding his fist into his open palm.

"No, we won't," said Leonardo weakly. "We have to leave. It's the only thing to do."

"What are you talkin' about, bro?" asked Raphael. "Don't you want to save Maureen?"

"Of course I do," replied Leo. "But I can't go there now. I'm not strong enough to do that."

"He is right," said Splinter. "You three cannot do this on your own."

"Why can't Leo just rest here?" asked Michelangelo.

"Because Brad may find this place and hurt us," answered Erin. "We're in too much danger here. He knows the number, and he can find out where I am."

"But how can that be?" asked Don. "I have top notch security in the Lair. There's no way he can track us here."

"Brad would find a way," Erin said. "He's very clever."

"Erin's right," April added. "Brad's very intelligent, especially with computers."

"But where will we go?" Erin inquired.

"To my grandma's house in Northampton," Casey explained. "You'll be safe there."

"Good," Splinter agreed. "We will leave tonight."

During the rest of the day, Erin packed some things to take with her on the trip. Then she went downstairs and watched T.V. with Mikey and Leo. But even the T.V. couldn't keep her from thinking about Maureen, especially when _The Powerpuff Girls _came on. Erin had already e-mailed her friends to let them know where she was going. They had replied back, sending their condolences about Maureen and offering words of encouragement. It made her feel a little better to know that she had support from her friends, but she wished she could do more.

That night, they all left the Lair and traveled to the farmhouse. Erin was fast asleep, her head on Leo's shoulder. Raph was on Leo's other side, muttering about how he was going to kick Shredder's butt. Mikey was also asleep with his head on Don's shoulder. Don was awake, doing research on his computer. Splinter was meditating about what had happened.

When they got to the farmhouse, they immediately went to sleep. They were all exhausted from the ordeal they had been through that day.

The next day, Leo woke up and went to the kitchen. He found the others eating doughnuts that Casey had gotten earlier that morning. However, he noticed that Erin wasn't there.

"Hey, Leo, want some breakfast?" asked Raph.

"Sure," replied Leo. "Where's Erin? Isn't she going to eat?"

"She said she wasn't hungry," April answered. "I think she's out in the barn. She looked pretty upset."

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Mikey questioned.

"I hope so, Mikey," April said uncertainly. "You know how close she was to her sister. It may take her awhile to snap out of it."

"Is there anything we can do?" Raph asked.

"We have to talk to her," Leo said. "It's the only way to help her."

"I don't think she wants to talk, bro," Raph said. "She just wants to find her sister."

"You might be right, Raph, but I have to try," Leo said determinedly. "I have to get her to open up to me."

After breakfast was over, Leonardo made his way to the barn, remembering the time when he had gone there to be alone. He was very depressed, but Raph had helped him snap out of it. He just hoped he could do the same for Erin. He took a deep breath and opened the door softly.

Erin was sitting on a crate, staring dejectedly at the floor. She looked up when Leo came in. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"I just want to talk to you," Leo said gently. "I know you're really upset."

"Wouldn't you be if one of your brothers was taken by the Foot?" Erin snapped.

"Yes, I would," Leo replied. "I'm just as upset as you, maybe more so because I couldn't help her. I feel as though it's my fault."

"Leo, stop this!" Erin yelled. "Stop blaming yourself! This isn't your fault at all! When are you gonna get your head out of the clouds and realize that it's Shredder's fault?"

Leo smiled at her. "You sound just like Raph," he commented. "That's something he would say."

"I know," Erin agreed. "I just don't want you to beat yourself up over this. You didn't ask for this to happen. None of us did."

"I know it's not my fault, but that's the way I feel," Leo said with a sigh. "Maybe if I tell you about it, I'll feel better."

"Leo, you don't have to," said Erin hastily. "I know how much pain it will cause you."

"I want to tell you," said Leo. "I need to get it out of my system. If I don't, it will just hurt more. I don't want that to happen."

"Has it happened before?" asked Erin curiously.

"Yes," replied Leo softly. "It happened when I didn't tell my family about the time when Shredder attacked me. When I finally told them, I felt better."

"Okay, spill," said Erin, getting ready to listen to the tale.

"Well, the day started out fine," began Leo. "We arrived at my special place and set up our picnic. After we ate, we threw rocks into the water and played with Milo. Then, Maureen taught me some card games. We were having a lot of fun.

"Maureen told me that she missed spending time with you. She said she couldn't wait for the variety show to end so that she could spend time with you. She told me about how the two of you would have so much fun together."

"She said that?" asked Erin in astonishment. She couldn't believe that Maureen would miss her like that.

"Yes," answered Leo. "I told her that you would spend time with her soon; that you were very busy right now. She said she understood and told me that she was lucky to have a sister and four new brothers. She said she liked me the best. That's when I promised to protect you guys from any harm.

"As we walked home, Maureen told me about what her school was like. She told me that she loved choir and couldn't wait for the concert that's coming up. Then she sang one of the songs, and I told her that it was very good. She has a pretty voice."

"Yes, she does," agreed Erin. "I've often told her that she could be a singer someday."

Leo nodded and resumed his story. "Suddenly, out of nowhere, we were surrounded by Foot Ninjas," he went on. "I told Maureen to run, but she stayed put. I tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them. Two of them grabbed Maureen and ran away. I could hear her screaming for me to help her. I tried to go after her, but I was ambushed from behind. I felt my head hit the wall, and I blacked out. That's all I can remember until you and Raph came to help me out."

Erin looked at Leo with sympathy and pain in her eyes. "It's okay, Leo," she said gently. "I understand that it had to be hard for you. Now I know why you feel the way you do. You feel helpless because you couldn't do anything about it."

"Yeah, I do," agreed Leo. "I also know that you're going through pain, too."

"I am going through pain," said Erin. "The truth is, it's my fault that Maureen got kidnapped just like it's my fault my mom died."

"How can you say that?" asked Leo incredulously. "It's not your fault that your mom died."

"Yes, it is," contradicted Erin. "I told her I hated her before Maureen and I left for school that day. I never got to apologize to her about it. That's why she died. God was punishing me for what I said to her. Now, he's punished me by taking Maureen."

"That's not true, Erin," Leo said firmly. "God wouldn't take your mother for something like that. Shredder and Brad are the ones who killed her and took Maureen. We're going to get them back, Erin. I promise you that. Do you believe me?"

"Yes, I do, Leo," Erin answered. "I know you wouldn't lie to me. And thanks for helping me snap out of it. You're really good at it."

"Well, I had a good teacher," Leo said with a smile.

As if on cue, Raph walked in. "Hey, Leo, Splinter wants us outside for a training session," he said. "You can be our cheering squad."

"Okay, Raph," Leo said, poking his brother in the shoulder. "You ready to cheer Raph on, Erin?"

"You bet I am," Erin said cheerfully. She followed them out of the barn, giggling as Raph teased Leo about not being able to train with them. He stopped when Leo smacked him in the head.

"Ouch!" Raph cried. "You're lucky you're already injured, Leo, or I'd give you a big injury right now."

"Nope, I'd just kick your butt from here to New Jersey," Leo retorted.

"Well, when you get better, we'll see about that," Raph challenged him.

"You're on, hothead," Leo accepted with a sly smile.

"You're gonna eat your words, fearless leader," Raph taunted playfully.

When the two Turtles and Erin arrived, Splinter announced that it was time for the session. Erin and Leo settled themselves on a blanket to watch. Raph was getting his butt kicked by Splinter, which Leo kept teasing him about. Mikey and Don were doing pretty well, and Splinter commented on their great teamwork. Throughout all this, Erin noticed that Leo was watching them wistfully, wishing that he could be with them. Erin felt that he was also still upset about Maureen and felt that it was her fault for making him relive what happened that day.

Erin knew that talking about the ordeal had made Leo feel worse instead of better. "It's my fault," she whispered to herself. "I don't care what Leo says. I'm to blame for all of this, but I know how to set things right."

That night, she crept out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs. Her bag was slung over her shoulder as she made her way through the house. She left a note on the nightstand by the couch where Leo slept. Erin hated to leave him, but she knew she had to. It was the only way to set things right. She gave Leo a kiss on the cheek and left the house to find her sister.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. Will the Turtles find Erin and Maureen in time? Find out in chapter eight, coming soon. Please read and review!


	8. Chapter 8: To The Rescue

Chapter 8

To The Rescue

A/N: Well, I'm back with another chapter. I hope you all like it. Thanks to all those who have reviewed my story. Now, I'll send some shout-outs to those people:

**Ana-The –Romantic: **Thanks for the review. I really appreciate all the feedback you have given me. Keep up the good work on your story. Please review this chapter.

**Lioness-Goddess:** I figured u would like this chapter. Yeah, it seems like Leo's gonna be mad at Erin for leaving. You'll have to read to find out though.

**Pacphys: **I know I nailed the talk between Leo and Erin. I'm glad u liked that part. Keep reading and reviewing.

**JeffyzGal2: **I pretty much like the same episodes you do, too. My favorite is "The Shredder Strikes Back" saga. I call it my "After Eye Surgery Episode" because the first part aired the day after I had eye surgery. It's special to me, and I have it on DVD. Do you like "The Big Brawl" saga? I do, although I wish Leo had won the tournament instead of Mikey.

**Readrrr Grrl: **Thanks for the nice review. I appreciate it. Please keep reading. I think you'll like this chapter too.

**Shellsboy24: **Thanks a lot sweetie. Leo is not a goofball, but Shredder definitely needs to die. Why do you have to pick on poor Leo? I think u do it just to torture me-lol! Anyway, enjoy this chapter.

Now before I begin the story, I must tell you that the fight scenes in here aren't detailed. The reason for this is because I really didn't know how to write them, and I had a bad headache while I was writing some of this. So I apologize if some of the chapter seems lame. I'm new at this, and I try my best. Ok, now for the fancy disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this fan fiction. Instead, I would be living in Florida and vacationing in Disney World. Turtles are owned by Mirage Studios, Inc. I own all the characters not related to the Turtles. Any flames of this story will be cut up by Leo's katanas. You have been warned! Now, on with the story.

Leonardo awoke with a start. He'd just had a terrible dream about Maureen being tortured by the Shredder. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. He looked at the clock and saw that it was seven in the morning. Leo saw the note next to the clock and began to read it.

_Dear, Leo,_

_I'm sorry that I've left you, but I had to. I want to get my sister back, and I couldn't wait to do it. Please don't be mad at me or blame yourself. I know you'll think it's because of the story you told me. _

_It's not your fault. I've been wanting to leave for a long tine since we got here, but I couldn't think of leaving you while you were wounded. Now that you're a little better, I've set out to find my sister and bring her home. I don't want you or the others to follow me. This is something I have to do on my own. Give my best to Raph, Don, Mikey, Splinter, Casey, and April. Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Just take care of yourself. _

_Love,_

_Erin. _

Leonardo put the letter down, tears filling his eyes. He couldn't believe that Erin had done this. What had she been thinking? Didn't she know that Shredder could seriously hurt her? Was she scared about what Brad could do to them?

"Hey, Leo, what's up?" Raphael asked.

"Erin's gone," Leo replied softly. "She left last night to find Maureen."

"You're kidding!" Raph gasped. "She left you a note?"

"Yeah," Leo answered. "She says she doesn't want us to follow her."

"Is she nuts?!" Raph bellowed.

"Is who nuts?" Michelangelo asked.

"Erin," Raph said. "She left to find her sister."

Mikey gasped. "We have to find her!" he cried. "She could get hurt!"

"We know that, Mikey," Raph said angrily. "She doesn't want us to help her out."

"Do not worry, my sons," Splinter interjected calmly. "We just need to plan this carefully."

"Are you saying that we should go after her even though she told us not to, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"That is exactly what I am saying, Leonardo," Splinter replied. "Even though she does not want us to help, we will do it anyway. We are a family, and families stick together."

"Master Splinter's right," April agreed. "We _are _a family. I'm coming with you to help find them."

"Me too," added Casey. "I wanna kick the Shredder's butt."

"No," said Splinter firmly. "You are not trained in the art of ninjitsu. It will be too dangerous for you."

"Look, Master Splinter, I know you're right," said April, "but I promised Noleen I'd take care of them. I _have _to do this."

Splinter saw the determination in her eyes and sighed. "You are right, Miss O'Neil," he said gently. "You did promise to take care of them. You may go, but you must be careful. It will be very dangerous since we are also dealing with Mr. Carson as well as Shredder." He turned to Casey. "You will come as well, Mr. Jones, so that you can protect April."

"All right!" yelled Casey. "Time to kick butt!"

"But how will we find Erin?" asked Mikey. "We don't know where she's headed."

"Not to worry, Mikey," reassured Donatello. "I planted a Turtle Tracker on her. I can just pick up the signal and locate where she is."

"That's our Donnie," Raph said with a smile. "Always thinking. So, when are we leaving?"

"Tonight," Splinter replied. "We'll be able to hide well in the dark."

"Sounds like a plan," Raph commented. "What do you think, Fearless Leader?" he asked Leo.

"It's fine, guys," Leo said. "I just want them back."

"Good," Splinter said. "We will have a short training session to prepare. Then we must pack our things."

**New York City**

Meanwhile, Erin was approaching New York. She had hitched a ride on the back of a truck that was headed to the city. As soon as it stopped, the driver got out and unloaded some boxes. When he went to put them down, Erin snuck out and ran away. She spotted some Foot Ninjas on a rooftop and went to follow them. She had to find her sister.

When Erin arrived at Foot Headquarters, she decided to just enter directly. She would confront Brad and make him tell her where her sister was. She spotted Brad and a man she didn't recognize in a big room.

"Hello, Erin," said Brad. "So nice to see you. Now, where are the Turtles?"

"They aren't here," answered Erin. "I came on my own to find my sister."

"But I told you to bring the Turtles with you," said Brad sternly. "Why didn't you obey me?"

"Because I didn't want them to follow me," said Erin. "I wanted to do this myself."

"Well, now you will pay for not obeying me," snarled Brad. He started to advance on Erin, but Shredder stopped him.

"Wait," said the man in metal. "All is not lost. The Turtles will surely know she is gone and come searching for her. We will still be able to destroy them."

Brad's angry look turned into a smile. "You're right, Master," he said gleefully. "We _will _be able to catch them. We should put her with her sister. That way, the Turtles won't find her."

"Good idea," Shredder agreed. He snapped his fingers and two Foot Ninjas appeared. He told them to take Erin to where Maureen was. They bowed and did as they were told.

Maureen looked up when she heard the door open and saw her sister. "Erin!" she cried. "What are you doing here? Where are the others?"

"They aren't here," Erin replied. "I came on my own to find you."

"Are you crazy?!" Maureen cried. "If the guys were here, we'd be home by now! We'd be asleep instead of being here! Why didn't you tell them you were leaving?"

"I did," Erin answered. "I left them a note. I'm sure they've read it by now and know that I'm gone."

"Well, that's good," Maureen said cheerfully. "Maybe they'll come to rescue us."

"No, it's not good," Erin contradicted. "Shredder and Brad want them to come. They'll get destroyed for sure. I wish I could warn them."

"Use your Shell Cell," Maureen suggested.

"Good idea," Erin said. She went to her bag and rummaged in it. "It's not here!" she gasped.

"I thought you carried it with you," Maureen said.

"I must have forgotten it," Erin moaned. She sank to the floor and buried her face in her hands. "What are we going to do?" she wailed.

"Don't worry, Erin, I'm sure the guys will come," Maureen assured her. "They won't let us down."

**On the way to New York City**

Meanwhile, the Turtles were on their way to save Maureen and Erin. Donnie was in front with April and Casey so that he could navigate. Raph, Mikey, Leo, and Splinter were in the back playing a game of B.S. It was a card game that Erin had taught them.

"You got any twos?" Mikey asked.

"Mikey, we're playing B.S., not Go Fish," Raph corrected him.

"Oh, yeah," Mikey said. He looked confused. "How do you play that again?" he asked.

Raphael sighed with frustration. "I'll show you, bonehead," he said. "Here's three twos." He laid three cards face down on the floor. "It's your turn, Leo," he told his older brother.

"Huh?" Leo asked. He wasn't paying attention to Raph.

Raph looked at his brother with concern etched in his face. "You okay, bro?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Raph," Leo replied. "I just feel like it's my fault. If I hadn't told Erin what happened, she wouldn't have left." Tears filled his eyes, despite his effort to keep them locked in.

Raphael went to his brother in blue and hugged him. "It's okay, Leo," he said gently. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I think Erin would have left even if you didn't tell her anything."

"You think so?" Leo asked.

"I know so," Raph replied. "Those two were really close to each other. Erin was worried about Maureen. She was bound to go after her sometime. I always saw it in her eyes. Right after we found you, Erin vowed to get revenge on Shredder. I told her not to do it, but I guess she didn't listen to me. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I do, Raph," Leo said. "I'm just afraid I won't be in any shape to fight."

Raph gave his brother's arm a squeeze. "You're doing fine, Leo," he said reassuringly. "Donnie says you're healing nicely. You've got the bandages off at least. Are you sore?"

"A little," Leo answered. "It's mostly my shoulder."

"Well, I'm sure Splinter will have something to give you," Raph said. "Right, Sensei?"

"Yes, I will," Splinter reassured him. "You will be able to fight, my son. I will not let you sit this one out."

Leo felt better, but he was still nervous. He didn't want to face Shredder with injuries. That wouldn't be good if that happened.

Up in front, Donatello was telling April and Casey about what was on the tracking device. "I think we should stop at the Lair so that we can formulate a plan," he said. "I don't just want to go bursting into Foot Headquarters without knowing what we're getting into."

"Great idea, Don," April said. "I think the guys will agree with you."

"Yeah, you're starting to sound like Leo, Don," Casey commented.

"I'll tell him you said that," Don said with a smile. "We're coming into the city. It's daylight now, so we can't do anything anyway. Let's just get to the Lair so we can eat something and plan."

"Sounds good to me," Casey said, putting the truck into gear and driving down the road. He put on the radio and sang along to a few of the songs. April knew Raph would laugh his head off if he could hear Casey's off-key singing.

When they reached the Lair, they immediately started formulating a plan. They decided that April would stay at the Lair to monitor the security system at Foot Headquarters. This way, she would be safe from anyone attacking her.

"But what if the Foot Ninjas search the Lair?" inquired Mikey. "They might get her!"

"No, they won't," said Leo firmly. "They want us to be there. If we're at Headquarters, there's no way they'll search the Lair, Mikey."

"But what about that Carson dude?" pressed on Mikey. "He could go after her since she's Noleen's friend."

"Mikey, don't worry," said Leo reassuringly. "Brad wants us, not April. He made that perfectly clear in that phone call. He won't harm her, but he wants to harm us."

"So, what's the plan?" asked Raphael.

"Get in, get the girls, and get out," replied Leonardo. "Does that sound good?"

"Yeah, I guess," said Raph. "But what's the strategy?"

"Just to be cautious," answered Leo. "The only thing I care about is getting Erin and Maureen back and stopping Shredder and Brad."

"I understand your motive, my son," said Splinter, "but you need to be prepared. I suggest that we have a training session followed by meditation to prepare us for this battle."

The Turtles bowed to their sensei and headed to the dojo. The session went well, despite the fact that Leonardo's thoughts were elsewhere. He tried to snap out of it when Splinter told him to focus, but then the thoughts would come back.

"Leo, wake up!" snapped Raphael who was partnering him. "You don't want daydream when we're at Shredder's fortress. That's the sort of thing he wants you to do."

"Sorry, Raph," apologized Leo. "I just can't help worrying about them."

"Well, try not to," said Raph sternly. "You need to keep a clear head."

After the training session, the Turtles sat in the lotus position so that they could meditate. Leonardo wished he could go to his special place, but Splinter had forbidden them to leave the Lair. Instead, he envisioned his special place and pictured that he was there with Erin and Maureen. It made him feel better, and the tension drained out of him.

But suddenly, his special place dissolved. Leo found himself looking at Foot Headquarters. He saw Erin and Maureen in a cell with Shredder and a man Leo figured was Brad Carson. He was yelling at the girls about something. Then, Leo saw him strike Maureen and Erin across the face. Leo gasped when he saw this horrific scene.

Raphael saw the distressed look on his brother's face and grew worried. "Leo, are you all right?" He asked anxiously.

Leo snapped out of it. "Guys, Brad's hurting them!" he gasped. "I saw them with Shredder and Brad. Brad was yelling at them, and he slapped them! We have to rescue them!"

"What was Brad talking about?" asked Splinter.

"Something about the girls joining the Foot," replied Leo. "I just know they're scared. We have to find them."

"Do you think the girls would join the Foot?" asked Mikey.

"No way!" answered Raph. "They'd never do that after what Shredder did to their mother!"

"But Brad might have been threatening them," said Don.

"Don's right," agreed Leo. "He might have told them he'd kill us if they didn't join. Erin and Maureen would do anything to save us."

"Well, they ain't gonna join the Foot if I have my say on it! Casey said menacingly. "We need to go in there and get them out!"

"I agree with you, Mr. Jones," Splinter said. "We will go tonight to save the girls."

That night, the Turtles, Casey, and Splinter set out to rescue Erin and Maureen. April's words of encouragement and hugs had boosted the Turtles' confidence. They knew they couldn't fail with friends like April and Casey at their side.

They left the Battle Shell in an alley near Foot Headquarters. They didn't want it spotted by humans who would ask questions. They then crept swiftly and silently toward the building where their sisters were being held.

"Okay, here's the plan," Leo said as they approached the building. "Raph and I will look for the girls. The rest of you need to keep the Foot Ninjas busy while we search."

"Roger that, Leo," Mikey said with a goofy smile on his face.

"Mikey, this is no time for jokes," Leo said seriously. "We need to be quiet and careful."

"Yeah, so shut up, bonehead," Raph said, hitting Mikey on the back of his head.

"Raphael, enough!" Splinter chastised him. "We need to focus on the task at hand."

Leonardo nodded at them and beckoned them forward. A few Foot Ninjas were stationed outside the building, but the Turtles took them down easily and entered the building. Once inside, they became surrounded by a whole fleet of Foot Ninjas.

"Okay, you know what to do," Leo said. The other nodded and began to attack. While the Foot Ninjas were busy, Leo and Raph snuck away to look for Erin and Maureen.

Raph looked up and down the corridors. "So, where could they be?" he asked.

Leo turned on his headset. "April, do you know where the Shredder might keep prisoners?" he asked.

"Hold on, Leo," April said. "I'll use Donnie's tracking system." There was a pause. "Okay, I've located them," she said. "They're on the seventh floor."

"Any obstacles that we need to worry about?" Leo inquired.

"Not really," April answered. "Most of the Foot Ninjas are with your brothers."

"They may not stay there for long," Leo said to Raph. "We need to be careful and silent. Thanks a lot, April," he said to her.

"You're welcome, Leo," April said. "Just bring them home."

"We will," Leo promised her. Then he and Raph set out. As they made their way up, they realized that April was right. There was barely any activity around them. Suddenly, they heard two voices near them. One of them was familiar to them, but they didn't recognize the other. Leo motioned to Raph to get into the rafters. They listened to what the two men were talking about.

"I was just informed that the Turtles have arrived," Brad said. "Do you want to carry out the plan?"

"Not yet," Shredder replied. "We will wait." He turned on a television monitor that showed him the first floor. "Wait a minute," he said. "I only see two of the Turtles. Where are the blue and red-clad ones?"

"Perhaps they are looking for the girls," Brad suggested. "Either that, or they were too scared to come, the little chickens."

"I'll show you who's a chicken, you scum bag!" Raphael growled, twirling his sais in a menacing way.

"Raph, calm down," Leo ordered. "We need to get the girls out of here. We can kick their butts later."

"All right," grumbled Raph. "Let's go get them."

The two Turtles continued on their way up via the rafters and vents. When they reached the seventh floor, they saw two Foot Ninjas outside a locked door. Leo and Raph jumped down and took them out easily. Raph took his sai and pried the door open. They saw Erin and Maureen shackled to the wall. Leo used his katanas to cut them free.

Maureen threw her arms around her big brother in blue. "Oh, Leo, I'm so glad you're here!" she cried. "I knew you'd come."

"How did you find us?" Erin asked them.

"Donnie planted a Turtle Tracker on you," Raph replied. "We knew it would come in handy."

"Are the others here, too?" Maureen asked.

"Yeah, they are," Leo answered. "Now, let's get you girls home."

Together, they crept out of the cell and made their way out. But suddenly, they were confronted by Hun and a group of Foot Ninjas.

Hun grinned nastily. "Going somewhere, freaks?" he sneered.

"Look who's talking," Maureen retorted. "We're getting away from here."

"I don't think so," Hun said, grinning wickedly. He motioned for the Foot Ninjas to attack.

"Erin, take Maureen and run," ordered Leo. "We'll hold them off."

"No, we're not leaving you," said Erin determinedly. "We're gonna help." She hit a Foot Ninja in the knee, causing him to drop his sword. She grabbed it and began to fight. Maureen joined them. Leo and Raph were surprised at the girls' fighting style. They didn't know how the girls could do it.

"How did you do that?" Leo asked them when some of the Foot Ninjas had been beaten.

"We watched you in practice and memorized your moves," Erin answered. A Foot Ninja advanced toward her, his sword raised. Erin did a flip and dodged him easily. She used a beam as a bar and swung her legs, hitting him in the face.

"Nice one!" Raph called to her.

"Thanks," Erin said back.

"Okay, I think that's all of them," Leo said. "Let's get out of here."

But before they could go, Hun seized Erin and twisted her arm back. "Drop your weapons, or the girl dies," he threatened.

"Erin!" Maureen screamed. She started toward her sister, but Leo held her back. Maureen watched helplessly as her sister struggled in Hun's grip. Why weren't Leo and Raph coming to her aid?

"I told you to drop your weapons!" Hun repeated. "Or do you want your little friend to die?"

Leonardo and Raphael dropped their weapons. Maureen gasped as the sais and katanas fell to the floor. She couldn't believe that Leo and Raph were obeying him.

"That's better," Hun said. "Now, you three and this brat will be good little hostage and return to the cell."

Maureen couldn't take it anymore. She ran at Hun and kicked him in the knee. He released Erin, but made to attack Maureen. He was met with a whack across the back of his head. The burly man went down quickly and didn't get up.

"I've always wanted to do that," Casey chuckled. He was followed by Donatello, Michelangelo, and Splinter.

"Great timing, Case!" Raphael commented.

"Come on, let's go home," Leo said. He led the way downstairs to the first floor. Suddenly, the Foot Elite materialized in front of them. They parted to let Shredder and Brad through.

"Well, what a surprise," the Shredder said mockingly. "I can't believe you walked right into my trap. What a bunch of fools!" He laughed mockingly and looked at the Elite. "Elite Ninja, attack!" he commanded.

The Elite lunged forward, but the Turtles were ready to meet them. Erin and Maureen cheered their brothers on, hoping that they'd win. Suddenly, an Elite Ninja lunged at the girls. Leonardo saw this and blocked the Elite's ax with his twin katanas.

"Erin, you and Maureen get out of here," he ordered. "We'll take care of these guys."

"Okay, Leo," Erin said. She and Maureen tried to sneak away, but Brad spotted them and barred their way. Maureen gasped as she saw a gun in Brad's hands.

"Going somewhere, ladies?" he asked mockingly.

"Get out of the way, Brad," Erin commanded. "April's called the police. Soon, you'll be going to jail or the murder of our mother."

"Oh no, I won't," Brad retorted in a triumphant way. "I'm not finished yet. After I kill you two, the Shredder will take care of your mutant friends. Say your last good-byes to the ones you love." He put his hand on the trigger.

Suddenly, Leo ran at Brad and knocked the gun out of his hands. He landed on Brad's stomach, his sword aimed at Brad's throat.

"Leo, no!" Erin screamed. "Let the police handle it!"

Leonardo glared at the man in hatred. "I should kill you right now for the things you have done," he said. "However, my code of honor won't allow it. I'll let the police handle you."

"No, you won't," Brad contradicted. He flipped upward, causing Leo to fly and land into a pile of shelves. "You're the one who will pay," he said.

Shredder jumped up and used his spikes to cut the supports on the shelves. They teetered precariously and began to fall.

"Leo, no!" Erin cried. She pushed Leo out of the way. Before anyone could get to her, the shelves fell, trapping her beneath them.

"Nooo!" cried Leo. Then the Shredder produced a bomb and set it to one minute. Then, he and Brad fled.

Leo ran to where the shelves were and started digging frantically. Raph and the others were telling him to hurry.

"Come on, Leo, we need to book," Raphael said. He saw that his brother wasn't going to listen. "Mikey, you and the others take Maureen," he ordered. "I'll come later with Leo and Erin."

Mikey nodded and took Maureen out of the warehouse, closely followed by the others. After they had fled, they were worried about Leo, Raph, and Erin. Then the building exploded in a burst of flame, collapsing to the ground.

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. I had to do a cliffie there. So, did Leo, Erin, and Raph survive, or did the Shredder and Brad get the victory? Find out in chapter nine, coming soon. Please read and review.


	9. Chapter 9: The Show Must Go On

Chapter 9

The Show Must Go On

A/N: Well, this is it. The last chapter of "Erin's Story"! I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I thank u all for the reviews that u have given me. It has helped me create the story. Now, for those who have reviewed the last chapter and those in between, I send u shout-outs:

**Chibi C.A.S.: **Thanks for your reviews. They are very much appreciated. I love your story. Keep updating it.

**Chibi "rose" Angel: **Don't worry, you'll love this chapter. Thanks for your kind comments. Keep reading and reviewing.

**JeffyzGal2: **Thanks for the answer to the question and the review. I loved "The Big Brawl" saga. I also love the "City at War" saga. That saga rocks. Do u like it too? Anyway, thanks for all the comments. They have made me feel so good.

**Readerrr Grrrl: **Here's your update. Thanks for all of the comments you have given. I really appreciate all the feedback. Keep reading and reviewing.

**Shellsboy24: **Thank you so much for reviewing, sweetie! Your funny jokes and comments have brightened my day. Thank you so much. Yes, Leo is the best and yes, Shredder definitely needs to die. You will like this chapter a lot. Thanks. Here are some hugs and kisses for you. Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo.

**Ana-The-Romantic: **Thank you very much for all of your positive reviews. Even though you didn't leave a review for my last chapter, that's okay. I know you were busy with your own story, which rocks by the way. Your positive feedback is the one thing that really boosted my confidence after seeing that one mean review. I greatly appreciate it, and I hope that you will review more of my stories in the future. U are an excellent writer. Keep writing more good stories.

Well, now that that's out of the way, I guess we can return to the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Turtles. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this. Turtles are owned by Mirage Studios, Inc. All flames will be cut up by Leo's katana.

Splinter, Mikey, Don, Casey, and Maureen watched in horror as the building exploded. They had little hope that Leo, Raph, and Erin had survived. As they turned to leave, they heard a voice call out, "Hey guys, wait up!" They turned to see Raph and Leo with Erin in his arms running up to them.

Mikey gave a shout of joy. "Leo! Raph! You're okay!" he cried.

"What about Erin?" asked Maureen anxiously. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"I don't know yet, kiddo," answered Raphael honestly. "We'll have to take her home and have Donnie patch her up. You look like you need to be taken care of too."

When they reached the Lair, April ran to them with an anxious look on her face. "Is Erin okay?" she asked in a worried voice. "Is she hurt badly?"

"It looks bad, April," said Donatello. "I'll have to take care of her." He took Erin from Leo and took her to the sick room. The others watched anxiously as he looked at her.

"Will she be okay, Donnie?" asked Maureen.

"I don't know yet, Maureen," answered Donnie. "Why don't you go with Mikey? Maybe you could play a game or something."

"Yeah, c'mon, Maureen," said Mikey. "I've got some good board games we can play." He took her hand and led her out of the room.

Donatello put a bandage around Erin's head and stepped back. "There!" he said. "I've done all I can do for her. Now, all we can do is wait."

"Do you think she'll recover from this, Don?" asked Leonardo worriedly.

"I don't know yet, Leo," Don replied. "She got crushed badly. It'll be a miracle if she lives."

"She'll pull through this, Don," said Leo determinedly. "She has to." He left the Lair to go to his special place. Once there, he sat in the lotus position and began to meditate. He didn't know how long he'd been there, but he felt that someone was watching him. He opened his eyes and saw Raphael beside him.

"I thought I'd find you here," the Turtle in red said.

"How did you guess?" Leo asked.

"Because you always come here when you're feelin' down," Raph replied. He looked around for a minute. "Do you remember when we found this place, Leo?" he asked.

"How could I forget it?" Leo answered. "We had a lot of fun that day."

"And the days afterwards," Raph added. "We never told Don and Mikey about it, either."

"Or Master Splinter," Leo chimed in. "That was the only thing I never told him about. It nearly hurt me to keep it from him though."

"That doesn't surprise me a bit, Fearless Leader," Raphael said with a smile.

"I'm not fearless, Raph," Leonardo contradicted. "In fact, I have a big fear right now."

"What's that?" Raph asked.

"That Erin won't make it," Leo answered. "Don said that it would be a miracle if she survived."

"Leo, that's crazy talk!" Raphael snapped. "Erin's gonna pull through this. She's tough."

"I just have this feeling that she won't," Leo said. "She's my sister, Raph. I've been there for her since that day in the city. I love her dearly just like I love you for being my brother."

"Leo, we thought you wouldn't survive after the Shredder kicked your shell that time, but you did," Raph said. "And thanks for that compliment. I love you too, bro."

"The only reason I survived is because you guys talked to me," Leo said. "And you're welcome for the compliment."

"Well, maybe that's what you need to do," Raph said. "Maybe if you talk to Erin, she'll wake up."

"Great idea, Raph!" Leo said enthusiastically. "Let's go now and see if it works."

Together, the two brothers went to the Lair and straight to the sick room. Erin was still lying unconscious as she had since she'd arrived back from the battle.

Leonardo sat down and took her hand. "Hey, Erin, it's Leo," he said. "I've been really worried about you. Maureen's been asking about you all day. She misses you, Erin, almost as much, if not more, than I do. You mean a lot to all of us. You have a lot of people who care about you. Please come back to us."

Leo waited, but there was no response. He sighed in frustration. Why wasn't she coming back? Raph had left earlier to give Leo some time alone. He wished Raph were there now.

"Why are you awake, my son?" a voice asked. Splinter was in the doorway, gazing at his oldest son.

"Sensei, you startled me," Leonardo said. "I was trying to talk to Erin. Raph gave me the idea after he talked to me. He said that maybe if I talk to her, she might come back. But it isn't working. Why is that, Master Splinter?"

"Healing takes time, my son," replied Splinter. "She needs to heal first. You should know that better than anyone."

"But that won't be for a few weeks," said Leo.

"I am talking about healing spiritually, Leonardo," corrected Splinter. "Her spirit needs to heal."

"What do you mean?" asked Leonardo.

"Erin has been suffering since she arrived here," explained Splinter. "She suffered guilt because she had an argument with her mother and never got to make it up. This is still eating at her now, so it will take time for her to heal. You were right in talking to her though."

"Do you think she heard me?" asked Leo.

"Yes, I do, Leonardo," answered Splinter. "I believe she heard you very clearly. But now we must let her heal."

"Okay, Sensei," said Leo. "I'll do that."

**Erin's mind**

_Erin was sitting alone when she saw her mother approaching her. Mrs. Finnigan looked exactly as she had before she had been killed. Erin couldn't quite believe that her mother was there. _

_"Mom, is that you?" asked Erin. _

_"Yes, it's me," replied Mrs. Finnigan. "How are you?" _

_"Fine, I guess," answered Erin. "Am I dead?" _

_"No, we're inside your mind," said Mrs. Finnigan. "I know you've been suffering a lot since I died. Why is this?" _

_"Because I never got to apologize for yelling at you that day," said Erin. "Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry! I never meant to say that I hated you. I love you more than anything in the world!" Tears were streaming down Erin's face. _

_"Oh, Erin sweetie, I know you didn't mean it," said her mother. "You were just angry. I forgive you for everything. But now it's time for you to go back." _

_"Why can't I stay with you?" asked Erin. _

_"Because you need to go to your new family," replied her mother. "They need you, especially the one you call Leo. He cares about you as a brother should, Erin. Plus, you have to care for Maureen. She needs you to guide her. They all want you back, Erin." _

_"Okay, Mom," said Erin. "I'll go back to them." _

_"Good," said her mother. "Good-bye, Erin. I love you, and I'll be watching over you." _

_"I love you too, Mom," said Erin. "I'll never forget all that you have done for me." She watched as her mother disappeared in a wisp of smoke. _

_"Now, it's time to go back," said Erin to herself. "I'm sure Maureen will be waiting to pester me." _

**The Lair**

Erin awoke and looked around. No one was in the room. She figured that everyone was asleep still. It was too early in the morning for them to get up.

Then, Erin saw Leo enter the room. He looked as though he'd been through a lot. "Hey," she greeted him. "How's it going?"

"Glad to see you're okay," said Leo. "I was worried about you."

"I know," said Erin. "I'm just glad it's all over. Is Brad dead?"

"Yes, he is," answered Leo. "It took awhile for them to get out. I think that Shredder killed him for his failure."

"How did we get out?" asked Erin.

"I carried you out," replied Leo. "We managed to find an escape route and got out of there."

"How long have I been unconscious?" asked Erin curiously.

"Just one day," said Leo. "How do you feel?"

"Okay," replied Erin. "I mean, I hurt all over, but I know I'll get better."

"I know you will," said Leo with a smile. "I'd better tell Don that you're awake so he can give you a check-up." He hurried out and found Michelangelo and Maureen on the couch watching Animal Planet.

"Hey, Leo, what's up?" asked Mikey.

"Erin's awake," replied Leo. "I'm going to tell Don."

"Can I go see her, Leo?" asked Maureen excitedly.

"Sure," answered Leo. "I think she'll be happy to see you, Maureen. She's missed you."

Maureen ran into the sick room and hugged her sister. "I'm glad you're okay, Erin," she said.

"Me, too," Erin agreed. "Now, hopefully, I'll be able to perform in the variety show."

"You will," Maureen reassured her. "Donnie's a good doctor."

"Yes, he is," Erin said with a smile.

As if on cue, Donatello came in, followed by Leonardo. "Hey, Erin," he said. "Let me check you over." He looked at all of her cuts. "Well, you seem to be healing nicely," he said. "You'll be sore for awhile, but that will go away in time."

"Will I be able to perform in the variety show?" Erin asked.

"I think so," Don answered. "You should be fully healed by then. For now, you need to take it easy, though."

"I will, Donnie," Erin promised. "I won't do anything I'm not supposed to do."

"Good," said Donnie with a smile. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure," answered Erin. She got out of bed and, with Leo's help, made her way to the kitchen.

**A few weeks later**

It was the night of the variety show, and Erin was excited. She had healed completely from her wounds and was feeling in the best shape ever. She was putting on the final touches on her make-up, before she headed to the school.

"You look great, Erin," commented Leo while Mikey made whistling noises. Raph smacked Mikey in the head and said that Erin looked decent enough.

"Too bad we can't go," Don said as he looked at Erin with pride.

"It's okay, Don," said Erin. "We're taping it for you guys so you can watch it later tonight."

"Cool!" said Mikey. "Break a leg, Erin."

"Mikey, you don't go saying that to someone!" chastised Raph. "That's rude!"

"That's theater talk for 'good luck'" explained Mikey. "It's how the pros do it."

"Thanks, Mikey," said Erin, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then she and her friends left to go to the show.

The night was a huge success for Erin and her friends. They were named the winners and loved the sour look on Jeanie Kramer's face. As they made their way back to the Lair, they talked about all the highlights. The biggest one was that David Ellis had congratulated Erin and had asked her out. Erin said yes, of course.

Later that night, the Turtles watched the tape with Erin and the others. They were surprised when the group number came on. They saw all four girls wearing bracelets in the colors of the Turtles' eyebands. They thought that was a touching thing for them to do.

Before Erin drifted off to sleep, she thought about how lucky she was. She had four brothers who cared about her, a father who looked out for her, a sister who loved her dearly, and three best friends who were there for her. Erin realized that if it hadn't been for Leo, she and Maureen would be in an orphanage. They wouldn't be in the Lair listening to Mikey's jokes or watching the guys practice. They wouldn't be sharing picnics with Leo at his special place or going shopping with April. They would be separated from each other with parents who probably wouldn't look after them.

"Are you okay, Erin?" asked Kelly.

"Yeah," said Erin. "I'm just happy I have a family. No matter what bad times we encounter, it'll never change the fact that we are family." And with that last comforting thought, Erin went to sleep, not worried about what the future could hold.

A/N: Well, that's it for this story! I hope everyone has enjoyed it. I'll be making a sequel called "Faye's Story" and post it here after Christmas Break. Thanks for all the reviews that you have given me. I really appreciate how nice you all have been. And, Chibi C.A.S., Leo loves Erin like a sister and nothing more. Anyway, thanks a lot. Please read and review this chapter. Also, to those who flamed my story, you just missed a good fiction to read. You must be blind or something. Well, that's all I have to say. Have a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy, and blessed New Year!

Hugs and kisses,

BubblyShell22. a.ka. Shell.


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